


A Specialist's Journey

by QueenOfHufflepuff



Category: Winx Club
Genre: F/M, Lots of OCs - Freeform, but the story mainly focuses on Helia's backstory so there had to be a lot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-02-27 08:57:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18735787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfHufflepuff/pseuds/QueenOfHufflepuff
Summary: Helia Zhao is pretty mysterious. No one knows his true background, only that he dropped out of Red Fountain for some reason before coming back. Here's a fanfic on what went on for the year or so that Helia was in Red Fountain, and what happened that caused him to leave. *Disclaimer: I do not own Winx Club or its characters.* *Rated T for later chapters.*





	1. Admission

**Hello, everyone! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? This is a story I've been working on for a long time, so I really hope you enjoy it! I'll say now that the other main characters don't make an appearance until the final few chapters since I want this story to really focus on Helia's background. (This was also posted on my fanfic account (HufflepuffQuiditchCaptain) for a while, and I finally decided to also post it here for those that prefer AO3!)**

**Thank you so much for reading, and enjoy!**

* * *

Helia sat outside the conference room, anxiously awaiting his interview. Honestly, he hadn't wanted to apply here at first, but now he was in the final stages of the application. If he'd come this far, why not complete it? His heart raced at the idea. If he made it through, he would be a third-generation Red Fountain student, just like his brother.

Rubbing his sweaty palms on his slacks, Helia looked around the waiting area. There were a dozen other boys in the room, some he recognized, but others he didn't. Each of them looked just as nervous, which in turn made Helia feel a little comforted.

At least they were all going through this stressful experience together.

The door to the conference room swung open, and a nicely dressed boy stepped out, shoulders slumped and looking dejected. He made his way over and sat next to Helia, raking a hand roughly through his brown hair.

"How did it go?" Helia asked him quietly, turning his head to look at the brunet.

His friend, Eric Porter, shrugged, taking in a deep breath. "It seemed as though it went well, but I don't know. Doctor Dossik didn't seem to like me."

Helia opened his mouth to reassure his best friend, but a woman's voice cut him off.

"Applicant number 208, please come with me to Conference Room 4C."

Helia stood, glancing at Eric. "Wish me luck."

The brunet grinned and pushed at his friend's back. "Dude, your grandfather is the headmaster. You'll be fine."

Ignoring him, Helia stepped inside the conference room.

It was supposed to be a big room, Helia could tell, but the room was partitioned into sections with false walls, making it seem much smaller than it was.

In the room, there was a long table where three men sat, shuffling through papers and whispering to one another. A lone chair sat facing them, and a recording camera stood in the corner with an unoccupied stool.

The woman who had fetched Helia coughed, making the three men look up as Helia had a seat in the chair facing the three heads of departments.

"This is Helia Zhao, applicant 208," she stated, looking at her clipboard.

As she moved to the stool beside the camera, the man in the middle, Helia's grandfather, stood.

"As much as I would love to stay, my friends, I must take my leave. I'll be back to interview 209." And with a nod of acknowledgement, Helia's grandfather left the room.

"So, Mr. Zhao," began the man sitting on the right side of the table. Helia recognized him to be the dragon training and fighting coach, Cordatorta. "We've analyzed your test results, and we must admit that we are impressed."

The other man, Dr. Dossik, who was the one in charge of teaching medical related classes, spoke up. "Your entrance essay was quite nearly flaw-free. You scored in the top tenth percentile on the academic exam and the top  _one percent_  on the fighting exam. Your medical history is clean, as is your police record. However, we noticed something . . . peculiar."

Helia leaned forward, curious and anxious. "What do you mean?"

He meant to ask it nicely, but perhaps it came out a bit defensive. He had absolutely no idea what they were talking about and it concerned him greatly. Had he done something wrong? Had he filed something incorrectly? Had he made an inexcusable error somehow during one of those tests or the paper?

"Well," Cordatorta began, giving him a small glare before looking at the paper he held in his hands, "we know that you're a good lad. But you must understand our concerns when, looking through your background, we see  _no_  prior experience or even  _interest_  in fighting or becoming a specialist. You were in the art club, poetry club, writing club, but not a martial arts club or an academic club. You weren't enrolled in any kind of formal martial arts training, and the only honors class you took was Honors Art Appreciation." He looked Helia in the eye. "We know your family, but we are concerned about cheating and the use of . . .  _enhancers_  in this school. We will not tolerate it."

Helia sat back, realizing exactly what was going on before Cordatorta even finished his sentence. "I apologize for making you come to that conclusion, sir. But if I may explain?" Cordatorta nodded, as did Dossik.

Taking a deep breath, Helia looked between the two. "I was taught martial arts by my brother and father. I know my file says 'self-taught,' but I was taught by my family members, so I was unaware of what to put until it was too late. My father had multiple black belts and even more advancements in those belts. He did not trust anyone else to be my teacher. So, he taught my older brother all that he could, and then once I was eight, they began to teach me."

Cordatorta nodded, but the other man looked doubtful.

"Your father died when you were twelve, yes?" he asked, consulting a stack of papers in front of him.

Taken aback, Helia could only nod in surprise. What did that have to do with this?

"Then how was it possible for him to teach you that much in only four years?"

"My brother is ten years older than me, so he continued my father's teachings." Helia tried to keep his tongue in check, but he feared he was coming off harsh and defensive.

"Your brother is also a Red Fountain graduate," the doctor pressed. "Did he slip you an old entrance exam, perhaps?"

Helia was growing more and more offended, but he dared not show it. How dare he accuse not only him but also his brother, of cheating? "No, sir. My brother's only advice was to do my best, so that is what I did,  _sir_."

The man didn't seem satisfied, but he nodded nonetheless.

"We will mail you our response within two weeks," Cordatorta intervened, quickly and effectively ending the interview. "Thank you, Mr. Zhao."

Helia stood, shook hands with the two men, and exited the conference room. He felt relieved, angry, and offended, but he wasn't sure which to focus on.

* * *

Two weeks later, Helia sat on his living room couch, reading a novel. He was so engrossed in the story that he didn't hear his older brother come into their small house. He did notice, however, the thick envelope that was tossed onto his lap.

Setting aside the book, Helia picked up the envelope, flipping it over to see it was from Red Fountain. He stared at it, slightly surprised and unsure of what to do.

"Well open it, dumbass," his brother called, coming to stand behind the couch to look over Helia's shoulder.

Helia tore open the mail. Inside, there were several pieces of paper, but Helia unfolded the one on top.

 

_Mr. Helia Zhao of Linphea:_

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Red Fountain! We hold our students to a very high standard and believe you meet them. Enclosed is a list of items you will need for move in, as well as a list of things to expect._

 

The letter went on about what was expected of a Red Fountain student, but he paid it no mind.

"I got in," Helia said, disbelief lacing his voice. "I thought for sure the other professors wouldn't approve of me because of everything they said, but . . ."

Alexandros ruffled his younger brother's hair. "Aw, who cares, man? You got in! Dad would be so proud!"

Helia turned, looking at his brother. "Thank you. You've helped me a lot." He stood quickly and rounded the couch to hug his older brother. "Thank you so much," he mumbled, squeezing hard before letting go.

A sudden, frantic knocking came from the front door. Helia and his brother went to answer, and neither were surprised when they found Eric Porter on the doorstep.

"Dude, I got in!" Eric exclaimed, holding up his letter as evidence. He looked excitedly from his letter to his best friend, his curly, brown hair flopping over his eyebrows.

Helia grinned broadly. "Me, too!"


	2. The First Day

Move-in day came fast. They were only allowed to bring what they could fit in a large suitcase and a backpack, so Helia had no trouble deciding what to bring. The only possession he would miss would probably be his easel, but that was too big, even for his suitcase.

Alexandros and their mother walked him to the shuttle station. His mother was fretting, asking if he had enough underwear, if he remembered toothpaste, and if he had enough paints to last the semester. Helia answered her questions patiently and lovingly, knowing that this meant a lot to her.

Helia's father had been at Red Fountain when he had met his future wife and the mother of his two sons. They had met at a mixer between Red Fountain and Alfea, and the two of them swore love at first sight. Helia still had trouble believing that part, but he figured he would eventually get it.

Arriving at the station just as the sun topped the horizon, Helia and his family met up with the Porter family. Helia and Eric greeted each other with a hand-clasp and bumped the front of their shoulders together. Their mothers began to get teary-eyed, and Helia took that as a cue to leave before his mother made a scene.

"I'll be home for a holiday soon, Mom," he assured, gathering her into a hug.

She squeezed back fiercely. "I know, my son," she mumbled into his neck. "Just be safe."

Pulling back, Helia grinned and squeezed her shoulders. "I will, Mom, I promise."

Helia turned to Alexandros. The brothers hugged tightly. "Good luck, little brother. And remember, do your best and you'll be fine."

Helia separated from his brother, nodding in agreement. He looked at his mother. "I love you. I'll call soon." He dropped a kiss on her cheek.

And with that, Eric and Helia gathered their things and headed to the launch pad for the Red Fountain Shuttle.

* * *

Groaning, Eric turned to look at Helia. "How much longer?" the brunet whined, shifting in his seat. "It feels like we've been on here for days!"

Helia chuckled, looking up from his sketchpad. "Well, the pilot said twelve hours, and it's been . . . about eight so far."

Eric groaned again, rolling his head up and around to stare out of the window. Helia grinned and returned to his drawing.

* * *

By nightfall, Helia and Eric had landed and were standing in one of four lines, awaiting their room assignments. There were several upperclassmen walking around, but the freshmen were allowed a few days to get to know campus before classes started.

"So, do you think we'll be put on a squadron together? Do you think you'll be captain?" Eric asked, looking up at the castle that was their school.

"I hope so, but I doubt the second part," Helia said, examining the building as well. "My interview didn't go well. At all."

Eric chuckled, moving his gaze to the line of people in front of them. "Same, man. I don't think I've talked to one applicant who said their interview went well."

Helia nodded, only half listening. He was relieved to hear he wasn't the only one but knew that being accused of using enhancement drugs and still getting accepted was rare.

"Alright, listen up, lads!" Cordatorta yelled. Helia looked up to see the man standing on the steps, muscled arms crossed. Next to him stood the medical professor, who was holding a box.

"When I call your name," the fighting instructor continued, "come to the front of the steps with your belongings. When all four names are called, climb the steps and you'll each be handed an envelope. That envelope will have your name on the outside and your roll in your squadron on a card on the inside. Freshmen are only allowed to be in squadrons of four but remember that as you go on with your education, the sizes and people in your squad can change." Cordatorta paused, glaring at the lines of anxious freshmen. "The rolls in a four-person squadron are Captain, Pilot, Paramedic, and Defender. There will be no changes made unless mutually requested by  _all_  the people in the squadron. After a request for change is put in, it will be sent to the headmaster. Your room numbers and a school map are also located in the envelopes! Understand?"

"Yes, sir!" the freshmen chanted, almost in perfect unison.

With a satisfied smile, Cordatorta began calling out the names of the new Red Fountain students. Helia didn't know how long it had been since Cordatorta began, but the sun sank below the horizon and the outdoor lighting bathed everything in yellow. But still, he paid close attention the entire time, listening raptly for his name as well as Eric's.

"Helia Zhao!" Cordatorta called suddenly, causing the boy in question to startle. Eric patted him on the shoulder, grinning broadly. Helia grinned back as he lifted his suitcase and made his way to the bottom of the staircase.

"Chase Gifford." Helia watched as a guy with close-cropped blonde hair stepped up next to him.

"Lance Aboiye." A black man with skin as dark as the night stepped forward, toting a large, blue duffel bag and a large backpack.

"Eric Porter." Helia tried to contain his excitement for having his best friend on the same squadron, but a small smile broke his façade.

Once Eric reached the stairs, the four of them faced Cordatorta and made their way up, their feet rhythmically falling onto the wide and stretched steps together. The four reached the step below him at the same time.

"Boys," Cordatorta began, handing each of them their envelopes. "I expect great things of this squadron. Each of you was top scoring, so you four are expected to set an example for the rest of the incoming students. Good luck."

And with that, they were excused and made their way to the top of the stairs. Entering the castle, each of them tore into their envelopes, huddling together near the entrance.

Eric was the first to get into his. "Cool, I'm the Paramedic!" he exclaimed, grinning.

Chase called out "pilot" and Lance followed shortly after with a heavily accented "defender."

Helia already had the envelope open and was staring at the card. CAPTAIN was written in big, bold letters across the otherwise plain, white card. Eric smiled wide.

"Well, what next, Captain?"

Helia grinned, shoving his friend. "How about we find the room before anything else?"

The other boys smiled and agreed.


	3. First Mission

A month into the school year, the boys were finally settling in well together. They were familiar with campus now and were adjusting to their classes and to each other. Helia discovered that Lance also liked poetry, and Eric and Chase had the same movie taste. Chase came from a long line of specialists and heroes, so he already knew a lot of things coming in, much like Helia. Lance's family were renowned magical healers, and he had fought hard to come to a specialist college instead of a wizard college.

Everything seemed fine, and everyone got along well. However, Helia couldn't help but feel as though something wasn't right. He figured it was his discomfort at being captain and left it at that.

During a free period one afternoon, Helia was in the dorm, sketching out the basic layout for a painting. He had soft violin music playing, but his full focus was on the canvas in front of him. The shapes of the petals were frustrating him, so he leaned back in his desk chair, examining the photo he was trying to replicate. Flowers always were tricky for him.

Eric hurriedly flung the door open, letting it hit the wall with a  _bang_ that startled Helia. Quickly standing, Helia looked at his out of breath friend.

"What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"Some . . . thing great!" Eric called between breaths. "Just a . . . sec, and . . ."

Chase and Lance came up behind Eric, both wearing sly smiles.

"We were told we 'ave a mission," Lance explained, his accent turning 'were' to 'wear.'

"And it involves the Alfea fairies," Chase added, bumping fists with Lance.

Eric was nodding when Helia looked back at him. "And it is tomorrow morning," he wheezed out, clutching his side.

"That's great! But why so sudden? Don't they normally brief two days before a mission?" Helia asked as the other three made their way into the room and closed the door.

"Normally, yes," Chase answered, falling onto his bed. "But something about the girls doing some last-minute project and needing our help."

"Ah. What's it for?" Helia sat back down in his desk chair but turned to face his squad mates.

"Botany," Lance answered, dropping himself onto his own desk chair. He straddled it, resting his folded arms on the back. "We 'ave to help them through the forest while they look for the potion ingredients and other supplies."

"Sounds great," Helia said, grinning as Lance told him the meet-up time was 7 A.M. sharp.

* * *

At 6 A.M., the boys were ready in their uniforms and capes, standing in a row in front of their squad ship. Cordatorta paced in front of them, listing the rules of the mission.

"Firstly, do not damage this ship. If it is damaged, you are each expected to work off the debt. If it is damaged beyond repair, you will be put on probation at best. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the four boys called back, perfectly in sync.

"Next. This mission is about a botany project. Normally only the sophomores handle missions like these, but the freshmen class at Alfea is larger than our sophomore class. That is why the four of you will be heading to Alfea and helping these girls out. That is something we value here at Red Fountain. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

Cordatorta stopped and faced the boys. The boys stayed facing forward. "This mission is highly serious, though it may not seem like it. You will be guarding these five fairies against the dangers of the forest. Two of them are princesses, so be on high alert. I expect the only interaction between you boys and them to be that of a bodyguard to a king. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good! Dismissed!"

The boys quickly went into the ship, taking inventory and warming the engines. A wall at the end of the ship hangar opened, revealing the morning sky and the trees. Chase carefully navigated the aircraft out of the hangar and into the sky, joining the sophomore squad ships that were hovering nearby, waiting to be deployed.

* * *

Once at Alfea, the boys waited at the open door of the ship, watching as many fairies were divided into teams and sent off with different Red Fountain escorts. The number dwindled down until five fairies remained.

They nervously approached, whispering and smiling at one another. "Oh, my gosh, they're cute!" one of them exclaimed, probably louder than she had wanted to.

"Hello, ladies," Chase welcomed, stepping out of the ship to greet them. He had a coy smile on his face, and Helia couldn't help but shake his head. So much for not interacting passed what was necessary.

But Helia figured this would be entertaining to see how he and his new friends worked together, so he let it slide. It was harmless flirting, right?

"Ooooh," one girl cooed, running closer. "Is this your ship? Are you the captain?"

"I, um," Chase looked back at Helia, who shrugged. It didn't matter what the girls thought if the four of them knew their places and didn't step on each other's toes.

"I am!" Chase proudly declared, turning back to the girl with a confident smile. "And my squadron and I are at your service!"

The remaining three boys bowed gracefully, knowing they were in the presence of royalty. They rose as one, and Chase called out, "So if you could follow me onto the ship, we can get started!"

Once in the air, Chase was bombarded with questions by the girls. Helia and Eric sat next to the supply crate while Lance was examining the radar and map.

"Why'd you let him do that?" Eric asked quietly, shuffling through the supplies and putting them in order. "That could be you with all the attention."

Helia shrugged, glancing at Chase and the girls who surrounded him before returning his gaze out the window. "I figured it'd be fine. If he doesn't let it get to his head, it will be. Besides, when will we see these girls again?"

Eric chuckled, nodding in agreement. "I guess you're right."

* * *

An hour later, the four boys were walking through the forest, two in front of the group of fairies, two behind. Two of the girls were glued to Chase's side, listening as he told them tales of their training. Helia found it hard to believe he had so many stories, as they had only been in school for a month, but he kept his mouth shut.

The other three girls were looking around the forest, spotting the mushrooms or moss or other plants they needed and carefully harvesting them.

"Okay!" one by the name of Melany called. "It's official! We just need one more flower and we'll be done."

"Thank goodness," one of the girls next to Chase whined. "I was beginning to get tired."

"What is the flower's location?" Lance asked, his deep voice startling the girl next to him. Helia held back a small chuckle.

Melany looked at a small notebook. "A ravine. It has white and blue petals shaped like little circles and a big center."

The boys nodded. "Which direction is the ravine in?" Helia asked, his eyes scanning the forest.

Another girl, Angelica, carefully examined the map she had. "It's . . . north of here, I think. About a mile away."

The group set off, following a small path in single file. Thea, one of the girls sidling up to Chase, began to complain that she hadn't worn the right shoes for hiking. Helia knew her to be one of the princesses simply from the way she held herself. He thought the way she was acting was a tad bit bratty, but her confidence and the way she spoke over the other, quieter girls is what led him to believe it.

The path eventually widened out as they approached a small, dirt clearing. On the other side, the path separated into three different directions.

"Hmm, this isn't on the map," Angelica stated, looking from the map to the scenery in front of her.

"Well, that's what we're here for," Chase said, stepping forward and turning to face the group. "Guys, how about the three of you each scout a different trail. Look for signs of a ravine like loose rocks, a downward slope, and maybe some of the flowers Melany mentioned."

Lance and Eric inconspicuously looked to Helia, but Helia knew he had to agree even if he didn't like it. "Sounds good to me," the real captain said, shrugging and holding up his alert watch. "Keep in touch with the communicators?"

"Of course," Chase said, grinning as he confidently threw an arm around Thea's shoulders. "I'll stay here and make sure the girls don't get into any trouble."

The three men turned, Eric rolling his eyes good-naturedly, and went down different paths.

Before he was out of earshot, Helia heard one of the girls ask, "Why did he even ask? Does everything have to be spelled out for him?"

He didn't stay long enough to hear Chase's response.


	4. A Loose Cannon

Once out of sight of the others, Helia sighed in frustration. At first, letting the girls think Chase was captain was harmless. But the more Chase talked to them, the more confident he got, and the more he tried to show off.

Helia didn't like separating like this. It was a bad idea, and everyone except Chase knew it. The girls were too unprotected, and the boys had no one to watch their backs in case something sneaked up on them. Helia would have sent two down the same path, one path at a time until the ravine was found while the other two stayed with the girls.

Shaking his head, Helia focused on the forest ahead of him. You couldn't change what had already happened. He followed the path as it sloped upward. He figured that this path led around the ravine, but he stayed with it to see if he could find an opening to it.

About fifteen minutes later, a loud crackling sound came from his alert watch. Stopping and holding it up, Helia watched as a projection of Lance came up.

"I found the ravine. It's down the path to the right. Be careful, there is a-"

The projection cut out and Helia turned around to begin walking back. Hopefully, the mission would be over soon, and Chase would go back to his normal self. But his hope was short-lived.

He froze when he heard a terrified, female scream. His blood ran cold and his head jerked in the direction of the sound. It sounded as though it had come from the direction up the trail, so Helia ran towards it.

Once he topped the hill, the forest's trees stopped, revealing the edge of a cliff. And down a steep hill to the right side, looking panicked and scared, was one of the fairies. A bear was nearby, snarling and snapping its jaws at her.

"Melany!" Helia called, approaching carefully but quickly. "Stay calm." Efficiently navigating his way down the dirt and loose rocks, Helia stopped when he was next to the fairy.

"Stay quiet," he advised softly, gently stepping in front of her and holding out an arm behind him so that she'd know to stay put. Helia crouched low, preparing to use his laser string gloves to contain the bear, and held up his other hand.

The bear was angry, but Helia didn't know why. Maybe it was hungry, or Melany had accidentally disturbed a mother bear with her cubs.

Helia saw Lance approaching from the side and knew what to do. Helia quickly changed positions so that Lance was now approaching him, and the back of the large animal. Helia kept its' attention as Lance came even closer.

Now close enough to touch the brown bear, Lance pressed a button on his communicator and a shrill sound filled the vicinity. It startled the animal, and Helia and Melany both flinched at the noise. The bear quickly backed up and ran into the woods, eager to get away.

"Thank you!" Melany called, rushing towards the two heroes as Lance shut off the noise. "You guys saved my life! I'd be dead right now if it weren't for you two!"

Helia thought that to be a bit dramatic but accepted her thanks nonetheless with a slight bow of his head.

"Are you okay? Why are you not with the group?" Lance asked.

"I got tired of your captain humble-bragging, so I decided to scout the right path myself. I left when his back was turned, and he didn't even notice," she declared proudly, folding her arms across her chest.

"Why did you do that?" Helia asked, examining his surroundings before turning his cold gaze on her. He was already annoyed with Chase, and now this Melany girl wasn't making it any better.

"Like I said," she said a bit snottily, dropping her hands to prop them on her hips. "I was tired of hearing him brag, so I went out by myself."

"By yourself," Helia echoed as Lance got on the alert watch and sent a message to Chase and Eric. "You realize if we hadn't been here in time, you could have been hurt, correct?"

"Well, I got the flower and here you are, so what does it matter? It's not my fault that-"

Before she could finish, Chase came running up, out of breath and red-faced. The girls quickly followed, and Eric was behind them.

Upon seeing Chase, anger welled in Helia's chest, but he didn't say the words he wanted to. Instead, he said in a short, clipped tone. "Call the ship. We've collected everything."

"Why should we call the ship?" Chase asked, still breathing heavily. His tone was still cocky, and Helia was tired of it. Could he not grasp the situation?

"I said call the ship. Captain's orders." Helia's tone was cold as he looked Chase in the eye.

Chase's shoulders slumped, and his face turned red as he set a beacon for the ship to find.

"What do you mean, 'Captain's orders'?" Thea asked, looking from Helia to Chase. "Chase is the captain, right? Right?"

Neither man said a word and instead focused on their surroundings to watch for more bears.

* * *

The way back was quiet and tense. None of the girls spoke, nor the specialists. When they landed at Alfea, Eric said, "Enjoy the rest of your day." But the fairies didn't respond.

The remainder of the ride was even more tense, if possible. Finally, Helia said, "I don't care if you want to show off in front of girls, Chase. Let's just leave this as a lesson we all learned." He looked up from where he was writing the log of the day's events. "I left out the part where Melany left the group. I suggest you all do the same."

Chase said a tense "Thank you" as he flew them into the hangar.

Once reports were filed, Helia pulled Chase aside.

"Chase, what was that? What happened?" he asked the blond, crossing his arms over his chest. They were alone in the hall outside their dorm.

Chase shrugged, turning his gaze away. "I don't know, okay? One second, she was there, the next she wasn't. It won't happen again, okay?" His tone was dismissive, as though it wasn't that big of a deal.

He tried to move away, but Helia stopped him.

"No, it won't," Helia said sharply. "It won't happen because we won't do that again. I found out that she was the other princess. If we had let a princess get hurt on our watch, do you have any idea what kind of trouble we would be in right now?" Chase didn't answer and kept his eyes averted. This angered Helia further. "We do our  _own_  jobs from now on, okay? It was a mistake to let you lead. I regret that mission."

Even though his words were harsh, Helia figured this would be the only way to get through to Chase. He wasn't used to being in charge of others and much less used to being in charge of reprimanding others.

Chase nodded once and turned his back on Helia. "Understood,  _Captain_."

As he walked away, Helia angrily stared back at him and clenched his fists. What was that tone supposed to be for? He deserved to be reprimanded. He's lucky Helia didn't go to Cordatorta!

Helia took a deep breath and closed his eyes. There was no reason to be upset anymore. He had taken care of it.

Relaxing his hands, Helia went inside his dorm.


	5. Rumors

A few weeks later, Helia and his squadron sat on the ground in the training arena, watching Cordatorta as he spoke. This was their combat training class. And this week focused on hand-to-hand.

"Today's lesson will be a review," the instructor said, pacing slowly in front of the boys. They sat in rows, each row made up of a different squadron. In total, five four-person squadrons were in the class. Helia sat at the beginning of his row, as did the other captains.

"The review will be of everything we've learned this week. No weapons involved. It is strictly hand-to-hand, and you will use the rules I went over on the first day." He stopped pacing and faced his students, smiling mischievously. "First to knock all of their opponents off their feet gets out of the warm-up runs for next week!"

The boys cheered and stood up, each of them either having a confident smirk or a nervous stance. Helia hated those warm-up runs.

"First up," Cordatorta called, assessing his clipboard. "Jax and Gallatin!"

Jax, a boy with deeply tanned skin and dark hair, stepped up, smiling as though he knew he was going to win. Helia frowned to himself. He didn't like people who were cocky enough to believe victory before seeing the opponent.

Gallatin, scrawny and pale, stepped up. They faced each other and bowed, acknowledging that this wouldn't mean anything outside of the classroom. When they began fighting, though, everyone was a little surprised by Gallatin. He had perfect form and knew how to block every move, but when he threw his own punches and kicks, he seemed a little clunky and awkward.

Jax seemed taken aback as well. He seemed to get a little too into it, in Helia's opinion. His face got redder with each move Gallatin dodged, and he began to huff in frustration.

Finally, Jax was so frustrated he lost his form, and Gallatin took advantage of that. The pale specialist landed a swift, smooth kick to Jax's ribs, and the dark-haired boy went down.

Everyone was quiet for a moment, and then Helia began clapping. He knew what Gallatin had been planning. The only way to take down a hot head was to make him lose focus.

The others soon joined in, cheering as Gallatin smiled bashfully and the two went back to their own lines.

"Next up . . . Lance and Francis!"

The rest of the class proceeded like this. The losers of each pair were asked to sit separately so that Cordatorta wouldn't get confused. By the end of the class, seventeen of the twenty boys were sitting. The only three remaining were Helia, Gallatin, and Chase.

Since Helia had just won his own match, he stepped to the side as Gallatin and Chase bowed to each other. Everyone knew Gallatin's secret now, so it was no surprise when Chase won the match after grabbing Gallatin's ankle when he tried to kick Chase. The blond flung it a little too aggressively, and Gallatin landed hard on his shoulder.

But nevertheless, he stood and shook Chase's hand before heading to sit with the others.

Cordatorta spoke up. "Well, looks like we have squadmates as the final two! Boys, I don't want this to be taken too seriously. It's just a friendly competition, understand?"

Both specialists nodded, but Helia saw Chase's determined expression. It looked like the face of a man who would do anything to win.

Helia knew it wasn't about getting out of the warm-up runs to Chase. To him, it was proving he was better than Helia. Better than his captain.

Helia wanted it to be a fair fight, but he wasn't sure Chase would do that.

The two bowed to each other, and as soon as they stood straight, Chase was on the offense. He came swiftly over to Helia, the determined expression not leaving his face. The two students fought, each dodging or blocking the other's attack. Helia kept telling himself that since it was just a friendly competition, it didn't matter who won.

But to Chase it did.

Because when Helia won after finally landing a blow and knocking the blond off his feet, he swiftly stood up and loudly said, "You cheated!" He angrily turned to Cordatorta, who was standing behind their sitting classmates. "He has to have cheated!"

Cordatorta shook his head, frowning at Chase. "Helia won fair and square, Chase." He stepped away from the rest of the class and said, "Class dismissed!"

With that, Cordatorta left and the rest of the boys began gathering their things, but Chase stood firm.

"You cheated," he accused again, coming up and shoving Helia hard.

Helia stumbled back but didn't fall. He was a little surprised by Chase's reaction, but he kept his composure. "I didn't," he answered back, feeling the eyes of their classmates on them. "How could I have cheated, anyway?"

But that seemed to have been the wrong thing to ask.

"Enhancers!" Chase shouted, coming at Helia again. "I bet you've been using them ever since you applied!"

Before Helia could respond, Eric came rushing up and stood between the two, a hand on each chest to block them from hitting each other.

"Get out of my way, Porter!" Chase yelled angrily, not taking his eyes off Helia.

"Dude, calm down!" Eric shouted back, shoving each of the boys at the same time, making them move farther apart. "Helia doesn't do drugs. He beat you fair and square, Chase."

But Chase shook his head. "I don't believe that. Everyone knows he's only here because of his granddaddy, anyway."

The blond stormed away, angrily picking up his duffel bag and leaving the room. Everyone stood there in shocked silence for a moment before others slowly began trickling out as well.

Helia wanted to go after Chase and confront him, but he knew it would end violently on Chase's part.

Eric seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he looked at Helia and said, "Don't bother. Let him cool off for now. He's just jealous anyway. Dude thinks he could make a better captain."

* * *

Winter break came quickly. Helia was blindsided by exams, as he had been so worried about his team.

Chase still didn't like Helia, but he was civil enough. Rumors had begun floating around about Helia using enhancers, Helia's admission into Red Fountain was just because his grandfather was the headmaster, and that he had been the one to help assign squadrons, thus making himself captain.

Obviously, none of it was true, but in his efforts to stay on top of and correct the rumors, Helia began to get behind in lectures. He would zone out for periods of time, only to come back when his name was called or when the class ended. Lucky for him, Eric let him borrow the notes.

After his final exam, Helia went back to his room to finish packing his things. With a defeated sigh, he zipped his suitcase closed and sat heavily on his bed.

"Rough testing day?" Eric asked from his place on his own bed.

Helia nodded deeply. "Yeah, you could say that. I didn't even remember all seven rules for dragon taming. Cordatorta will  _not_  be happy with me."

Eric hummed in understanding. "Hey, don't worry about it. You've got next semester to bring your grades up!" His phone buzzed, and he quickly glanced down and smiled. "Look on the bright side," he continued, getting up and showing Helia his phone. "Krystal just messaged me! We're invited to the castle to visit her while we're on break!"

"That sounds great," Helia said, thinking about the last time he had seen his childhood friend.

* * *

A few days later, the two made their way through the Linphea Castle gates and into the royal courtyard. A beautiful fountain was in the center, depicting deer and other wild animals walking through a lush forest. Surrounding the fountain were small patches of unique flowers, their petals misty from the spray of the fountain.

Krystal was waiting for them at the top of the castle steps, smiling and bouncing on her toes.

"Oh, guys! It's been so long!" she exclaimed as the two bowed as a formality. Once they were standing up straight, she hugged each of them tightly.

"I'm so excited to have you here," she continued, walking quickly into the castle, the boys following. "I have family visiting this afternoon, too! It'll be so nice to have you all here together and finally meet!"

Eric and Helia only nodded, smiling at her excitement.

Krystal led them into a parlor, where they kept chatting and catching up. Helia was in the middle of telling her about Red Fountain when a butler came in. He bowed formally and announced that Krystal's cousin Kendra had arrived.

The princess excitedly asked her friends to wait as she went to fetch Kendra.

"She's in a good mood," Eric laughed, taking a bite of a little sandwich.

Helia nodded and chuckled. She had always been energetic and sweet, so it was good to see that her princess lessons hadn't taken away her carefree attitude just yet.

Krystal came into the parlor a few minutes later, this time with her cousin. The two boys stood to greet them, yet Helia was the only one who bowed. Glancing at Eric, Helia saw that his friend's eyes were fixed solely on Kendra.

She was quite beautiful, Helia acknowledged. She had long, raven hair and deeply tanned skin. Her eyes were dark brown, which wasn't that common on Linphea. She flashed the boys a flirty smile, revealing straight, white teeth.

"Nice to meet the boys Krystal is always talking about," Kendra said, her voice soft.

Krystal blushed lightly but urged everyone to sit and get to know each other.

As the four were talking, Helia noticed that Eric was eagerly asking Kendra questions, and hurrying to answer the ones she asked. It seemed as though almost every other question, Eric was complimenting Kendra. Whether it be her hair, her laugh, or her smile, Eric was happy to point out how beautiful it was.

Sharing a knowing glance with Krystal, the two hid little smiles when Eric asked what Kendra's boyfriend was like.

"Oh, I don't have one," she answered, glancing embarrassedly at the floor. "It just seems I haven't met the right guy yet."

Helia had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing at the delight on Eric's face.

"Oh, Helia!" Krystal called suddenly, standing up. "Please come with me for a moment! I want to show you the new drawing room!"

Helia rose, as did Kendra and Eric, but Krystal shook her head. "I'm sorry guys, but it's not finished yet. I'm only allowed to take one person at a time."

And with that, Helia was pulled out of the room, leaving Kendra and Eric alone.

"Aren't they the cutest?" Krystal sighed wistfully, leading Helia down the hallway. "I knew they'd hit it off!"

Helia grinned, both happy for his friend and amused at Krystal's excitement. "It's a little early to say that they hit it off, don't you think?" he asked, stuffing his hands into his pockets as Krystal led him into the drawing room.

He took a seat on a sofa and glanced around. The only thing that had changed was the wallpaper and the paintings that hung on the wall. The room was conveniently construction-free.

"Oh, come on, Helia! Don't you believe in love at first sight?" she teased, sitting on a chair by the large window.

Shrugging, Helia looked at the stunning view of the courtyard. "I'll believe it when it happens to me," he said vaguely.

This was always the topic that turned his mood sour. He was happy when his friends and family members found love, but he just couldn't believe that there was an instant attraction like they said there was. As romantic as he was, it just didn't seem possible. For that to happen to Helia, the girl would probably have to be just as quiet and kind-hearted as he.

Krystal scoffed good-naturedly and quite un-princess-like. "Quit being a skeptic," she chided. "I'm sure it'll happen to you. Maybe you just need to open your eyes and look for her instead of waiting for her to fall in your lap. Life isn't a romance movie!"

Helia shrugged again, grinning sheepishly. "I guess you're right."

Krystal laughed. "Of course! Aren't I always?"


	6. Mixed Messages

Eventually, Helia and Krystal returned to the parlor to find Eric and Kendra had gone for a walk in the royal garden, according to a butler. The specialist and princess found them sitting side by side on the lip of a fountain tucked away in a corner.

Kendra had hurriedly stood and muttered an excuse about her feet hurting, but Eric was all smiles. Helia had noticed that the sun was setting and mentioned that he and Eric still had to walk home. Eric had reluctantly agreed to go, kissing Kendra's hand in farewell.

"You're head over heels, aren't you?" Helia asked as the two left the castle.

Eric stopped in his tracks, the setting sun casting a long shadow into the street. "Wait, was I that obvious?" he asked, his eyes round with worry.

"Blatantly," Helia deadpanned, stopping as well. "But don't worry, she seemed interested in you, too."

Eric sighed with relief. "That's good," he said, starting to walk again. "I want to ask her out. Would that be too fast? Would she think I'm weird?"

Helia shrugged, falling into step next to his friend. "Maybe, maybe not. I guess it depends on how you phrase the question?"

Nodding, Eric went quiet for a few minutes. "Maybe I could ask her on a casual date? Like to the ice cream place around the corner?"

"Sounds like a solid plan," Helia admitted. He'd never seen his friend  _this_  enamored with someone before. Even though it was winter break, Linphea never got snow. It was always a nice temperature, never dipping below 15 degrees Celcius. It rained and stormed occasionally, but with the steady temperatures, plants were able to flourish here much better than on other planets.

"But she doesn't know much about me," Eric admitted after a pause. "What if she thinks we have nothing in common?" He chewed on his lip in thought, his arms folded lightly across his chest.

Helia raised a questioning brow. "You guys didn't talk that much about you?"

This time, Eric shrugged. "I just kept asking her questions, but she never asked any back. That's why I figured she had a boyfriend at first." The two boys stayed quiet as they neared their shared neighborhood. "Okay, how about this? You go in as my wingman, talk me up, and then I come in and ask her out?"

Helia chuckled. Eric was already in love with this girl, and it was amusing to see how excited he was about her. "Sure, I can help you out," Helia agreed, smiling at his friend.

Eric broke out into a huge grin. "Yes!" he shouted, earning a few looks from passersby.

* * *

A few days later, Helia showed up at the castle again. The four of them had made plans, but Helia made sure to show up early to talk Eric up to Kendra.

Helia checked his phone as he waited for Kendra in the grand foyer. He saw a message from Eric light up his screen.

_Dude remember, I'll be there in like twenty minutes. Is that enough time?_

Helia chuckled at his nervous friend.

_Yeah, it'll be fine. You got this, bro_

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Helia looked up to see Kendra approaching him, a confused smile on her face.

"Oh, hey Helia," she greeted, stopping a few feet away. "I thought we were meeting as soon as Krystal got out of her lessons?"

Helia pretended to be surprised, pulling his phone out to look at the time. "Wait, doesn't she get out right now?" he asked, looking back to the raven-haired beauty.

She smiled, shaking her head. "No, silly! She gets out in half an hour." She giggled, and Helia couldn't help but smile back.

"Oh, well I guess that explains why Eric isn't here yet," Helia said, laughing at himself. "I guess we can just talk while we wait. Is that okay?"

"Oh, that's perfect!" Kendra said, leading the way to the parlor they had been in a few days before.

Helia sat on a sofa, and Kendra sat a few spaces down. He felt slightly nervous. All he had to do was steer the conversation toward Eric, and things would be fine. He just had to say good things about Eric.

"So where are you from?" Kendra asked, folding one of her legs underneath her.

"Oh, Eric and I grew up in a neighborhood not far from the castle," Helia said, raising an eyebrow. Krystal had told Kendra that the three of them were childhood friends, right?

"Wow, that's so cool," Kendra continued. She looked at him with wide eyes. "Do you go to Red Fountain? Are you a specialist?"

"Yeah, Eric and I go to Red Fountain. We're in the same squadron. He's the top Medic in the whole freshmen class," Helia offered. It was hard to talk about Eric when she only asked questions about Helia.

It went on like this for a few minutes, and when Helia mentioned that Eric had a love for old movies, Helia caught Kendra rolling her eyes.

"What?" he asked, feeling defensive. Why was she being so dismissive?

Kendra sighed, and Helia sensed her mood had turned sour. "You keep mentioning Eric," she answered, her tone annoyed. "He sounds like such a loser."

Helia felt his stomach bottom out. Great. He had messed up his only job. Taking a deep breath, he tried to salvage the situation.

"What do you mean? He's a great guy," Helia defended.

"He's a Medic, he likes old movies, he likes to go camping, he likes bluegrass music," she listed off, counting on her fingers. "All of that sounds boring by themselves. Add them together, and they make a boring person."

Helia was taken aback. How had her attitude about Eric changed so drastically in the last few days?

"I thought you were interested in Eric," Helia said, shifting uncomfortably.

Kendra scooted closer to him, shaking her head. "I was at first, but he seems clingy. I'm into men who are more . . . aloof."

"That's not a fair statement," Helia chided, trying to scoot away from her only to be met with the arm of the sofa.

"Plus," she added, ignoring Helia's comment. "I like men with dark hair, too. Like yours." She reached out to touch Helia's hair, but he quickly stood, escaping her hand. Helia was starting to panic.

This wasn't going as he and Eric had planned.

Kendra stood and stepped forward, grinning coyly. "How obvious do I have to make it that I'm into you, Helia?" she asked, pretending to pout. "I know you're into me, too."

"N-No," Helia stuttered, stepping away from her. "Eric likes you, Kendra."

"Oh, I know he does," she admitted, rolling her eyes. "He was pretty tactless." She stepped forward and grasped Helia's bicep, squeezing a little to feel the muscle.

Helia froze at her touch, not knowing what to do anymore. He was completely out of his element. Sure, he knew poems and paintings and romantic gestures, but he wasn't that experienced with girls. He'd never had a girl be completely outright with her feelings like this.

"Your muscles are really impressive, Helia," she cooed, smiling and stepping closer so that she was pressed against his side.

Helia was panicking on the inside, his wide eyes making it quite clear. He hadn't known any of this would happen. He didn't meet Kendra's eyes, his stomach knotting with guilt. How was he going to get out of this?

"I really like how mysterious you are," Kendra whispered, pressing her cheek against his shoulder. "Eric isn't mysterious at all. I felt like I knew everything about him within an hour."

"And what did you think about him?" Helia asked, trying to salvage something of this horrible exchange. He stole a quick glance at her, but when their eyes met, he instantly looked away.

She gave a breathy laugh and pulled away from him a little. "I already told you," she admonished, grinning cheekily at him. "I think he's a loser." Reaching down and grasping his hand, Kendra stepped to face him. "I don't think you're a loser, though."

Helia felt like the situation couldn't get any worse. But then, it did.

"Helia, what are you doing?"

Helia and Kendra both turned to see Eric standing in the doorway, and Helia's stomach dropped to his feet.


	7. Betrayed

"I'm telling you, Helia, you need to talk to him," Alexandros said as the brothers walked down the sidewalk. They were spending a bit of time together before Helia had to go back to school, and Helia was grateful that he could take this time to get his brother's advice. "It's not good to let it fester."

Helia shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I would, but you didn't see how enamored he was. He was smitten as soon as he laid eyes on her. I can't tell him what she said about him."

Alex sighed, shaking his head. "Then don't tell him that part. Tell him the truth. She hit on you. Don't let that ruin your friendship."

Helia let out a sigh of his own as the two made their way into a coffee shop. "I don't know, man. Maybe it'll blow over."

His brother shook his head again as the two stepped in line to order. "Stop being an idiot," he chided quietly, shoving Helia a little.

Helia stepped away to keep his balance and accidentally bumped into someone. "Sorry about that," he said sheepishly, smiling apologetically and facing the front again. Surveying the shop, Helia realized how crowded it was. There were barely any tables available, and several people were standing around.

"I'll grab us some seats," he said, digging in his pocket for the correct amount of money. "Get me my usual?"

Alex simply nodded and took the money his brother handed him.

Managing to find a small, empty table, Helia plopped down in a seat and began to think.

Eric had seen Kendra about to kiss Helia. But in his anger, Eric had accused Helia of making a move on her. Even though Helia protested at first, Eric had ignored him and stormed out of the castle.

As soon as he was gone, Krystal came in from one of her lessons. She looked at the specialist and her cousin, confusion and slight hurt on her face.

"What's going on here?" she asked softly, but Helia could hear the anger that tremored her voice.

Helia looked down to see that Kendra's hand was still holding his. He shook it off and stepped away from her, his brows drawing together in anger at himself. "Nothing," he said curtly, facing his princess as he tried to relax his features.

"Oh, Helia," Kendra cooed, looking triumphant as she took in her cousin's appearance. She flipped her dark hair over one shoulder and propped a hand on her hip. "You don't have to lie to the poor girl. Just tell her the truth! Tell her all about what we were in the middle of!"

Helia felt a tick in his jaw as he turned his steely gaze to her. "The  _truth_ ," he began, biting out the words, "is that I have no desire for you, Kendra. I am not interested in a relationship at all, much less one with  _you._  And I was just trying to leave."

Turning back to Krystal, he bowed politely. "Excuse me, Krystal, but I must go. It was nice to see you again."

And with that, he had left the castle, running to find Eric, but to no avail. And now, two weeks later, Helia was getting breakfast with his older brother before he left for Red Fountain. Eric was leaving later than Helia, as a captain had to be there earlier than the others.

Alex set a cup of green tea in front of his brother as he took a seat.

"I don't get it!" Helia exclaimed quietly, sitting back in his chair and running his hands through his short hair. "How is it possible to fall in love on the spot? Dad did it, you did it, and now Eric. I don't understand."

Alex chuckled, taking a long sip of his coffee. "You will one day, little brother. It's like the heavens open and the angels sing. You'll get it when you meet the one."

Rolling his eyes, Helia picked up the cup in front of him to take a drink. However, the name on the side caught his eye.

_Flora._

"Alex, you got me the wrong cup," Helia mumbled, half-annoyed, half-grateful for the distraction. He stood and went back up to the counter. Without a word, he set down Flora's cup and picked up the one that had his name on it before returning to his table.

* * *

Once back at Red Fountain, Helia unpacked his bags quietly. No one on his team was back yet, but that was expected. Captains had to be back for the staff to give them their evaluations.

The empty room gave him solitude, but Helia wasn't sure if he wanted it. He found himself longing for something louder, more . . . full of life.

A sharp knock on the door startled him, causing him to instinctively reach for his gloves before he opened the door.

"Cordatorta!" Helia answered in surprise, looking at the man in front of him with wide eyes. "I thought Dr. Dossik was delivering the evaluations?"

Cordatorta grinned and shook his head. "I'm here because the headmaster requested you. Follow me to his office."

Helia followed quietly, wondering why in the world he'd been formally summoned by his grandfather. As they wove through the castle, Helia felt his heart sink. Had there been a death in the family? His father had been Saladin's only child, so the only unaccounted family members were his mother and brother.

Once in the office, Helia sat in a chair in front of his grandfather's desk, his foot bouncing quietly in anticipation.

"Helia, we've requested you here to talk about your evaluation scores," his grandfather explained, looking from a neat stack of paper to Helia.

His heart skipped a beat, and Helia wondered just how badly they did. Getting called to the headmaster's office about test scores couldn't possibly be a good thing.

"Your scores far outstand our expectations, young man," Dr. Dossik said from his place to the left of Saladin. Under his breath, the medical professor added, "Not that I expected much."

Cordatorta cut his coworker a glare before turning back to the student in front of them. "Your team scored higher than every other freshman team and a third of the sophomore teams, lad."

Helia felt his eyes go wide as pride swelled in his chest. He knew they were good and worked well together, but he didn't know they were  _that_  good.

"And as a reward, we have decided to give you boys a new mission," Cordatorta continued. "The Magix Wildlife Reserve has been having some issues with a troll. This is the third time it has escaped the Reserve's barrier. Your job is to track it down and contain it, and then call me to come and get it. We'll give you the full details of the mission tomorrow."

"You are dismissed," Saladin said, grinning proudly. Helia stood and bowed deeply.

"Thank you," he said before turning and leaving the room.

Helia walked to his room, feeling elated and nervous. Even though things weren't going smoothly between everyone on the team now, maybe this mission would help them get over their differences. It all began on a mission, so it would only be fitting for the problems to end on one.

He approached the dorm, but a voice stopped him before he rounded the corner.

"Dude, I get it. He's totally a show-off."

That voice was Eric's. Normally, something like that wouldn't make him stop in his tracks, but it was the annoyance in his voice that left Helia feeling as though he wasn't supposed to be here. As though he wasn't supposed to hear this.

"Wow, wouldn't expect that from his best friend," Chase's voice called.

Helia peeked around the corner quietly, not wanting to be seen.

He saw Eric and Chase standing outside the dorm door, their bags at their feet. Chase was leaned up against the wall across from the door, and Eric was standing in the middle of the hall, arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah," Eric snorted, picking up his duffel bag and throwing it over his shoulder. "You should hear what he did over break. Let's just say it opened my eyes, and now I see who he's been all along."

Even from this distance, Helia could see Chase lift an eyebrow in curiosity. "Oh?"

Eric faced Chase fully. "He stole my dream girl right out from under me. I asked him to help me ask her out, but when the time came, she told me that he asked her out first."

Helia's eyes narrowed as he realized. That's what Kendra had wanted all along. Two men fighting over her. Helia hadn't asked her out but she had told Eric that he had. That sneaky little b—

"Damn, that's cold, bro. I'd never do that," Chase said, hanging his head and slowly moving it from side to side. He pushed himself from the wall and placed a hand on Eric's shoulder. "So now you see what I've been saying all year. He knows how much influence his family has, so he's trying to use it to his advantage. He wants all the power, all the money, and all the girls. He's a selfish asshole who leaves nothing for the rest of us."

Helia's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth parted softly. No way would Eric believe this. Eric was his best friend since childhood. They had been through everything together. There was absolutely no way that he would ever believe the things Chase was saying.

But, to Helia's horror, Eric nodded.

Helia turned to leave, not wanting to see any more of this, but bumped into Lance after his first step.

"How long have you been behind me?" Helia asked, keeping his voice low and his emotions in check.

"Long enough," Lance said at the same level, giving Helia a pity-filled gaze.

"Tell them to be ready for a meeting soon," Helia ordered, avoiding eye contact and wanting nothing more than to be away from this exact spot and this exact situation. He walked passed Lance after the dark-skinned man nodded. He needed to be alone for a while and process what he'd just heard.


	8. Dangerous

Once their squad was assembled with Cordatorta, Helia was already over what Eric had said. Eric was still mad at Helia about Kendra, but hopefully, once this mission was over with, they could talk it out.

"Lads, this mission is a high honor for freshmen," Cordatorta said, pacing in front of them. "A troll has escaped from a wildlife reserve. Usually, we send sophomores or juniors out to round them up, but you four have gone above and beyond the already high expectations we had of this group. Even though you are freshmen, we expect you to act better than that."

The four of them straightened with pride, small smiles on their faces.

"Now, we'll be giving you the location coordinates of the last known sighting of the troll. To restrain it, we've put handcuffs on your ship. The cuffs are made of the strongest steel and dipped in a potion to make the wearer drowsy and disoriented. Once you have the handcuffs on the troll, you will signal me to come and collect it. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good! I've sent the coordinates to your communicators. Dismissed!" With a sly smile, he added, "And good luck, lads! I'm counting on you!"

"Yes, sir!" they called again, hurriedly filing onto their ship.

* * *

Helia consulted the information as Chase and Lance started up the ship. The troll had escaped into the dense woods surrounding the wildlife reserve, so they probably wouldn't have much room to land.

"Okay," Helia called out, moving to his seat. "The woods are too dense to land in, so let's land at the wildlife reserve. Eric, call the head of the reserve, tell them we're on our way."

"You got it, boss," Eric said sarcastically, but Helia let it slide.

"Chase, do you have the coordinates in the system already?"

"Yup, I got it taken care of," Chase said before Helia could even finish his question.

"Alright then," Helia said slowly as Chase navigated out of the hangar and into the open air. The captain turned to Lance. "What does our weapon inventory look like, Lance?"

Lance turned to face Helia and began listing off their possible weapons. "We 'ave your laser string gloves, my crossbow, Chase's broadsword, and Eric's spear. We also 'ave the handcuffs Cordatorta gave us, as well as our shields."

Helia nodded, bringing a hand to his chin in thought. "We were instructed to bring the troll in without hurting it, so it seems we'll have to get creative in restraining it. Do we have any net launchers?"

Lance turned back to his monitor and typed in a few things before answering his captain.

"Yes, we 'ave a net launcher in the back, but only one net large enough to contain the troll."

Helia nodded again. So, they only had one shot to guarantee a safe capture of the troll. If they missed, then they might have to wait until it falls asleep. And that might take too long for it to be considered a mission well accomplished.

"How good are you with binding or freezing spells?" Helia asked, but Lance only shook his head, signifying  _not that great_.

"Manager of the reserve is expecting us," Eric called, not looking up from where he was watching the radar.

"Good, thank you, Eric," Helia answered, turning to look at his friend.

But Eric didn't acknowledge Helia. He kept his head facing forward and acted as though Helia hadn't said anything at all.

Sighing quietly, Helia turned to face his own monitor.

* * *

At the reserve, the manager led them to a taped off section of the enclosure. A section of fence was missing, but workers in pale blue jumpsuits were fixing it.

"As you can see," the manager said, coming to a stop just in front of the tape, "we're in the middle of fixing the fence. Normally we'd have Joe over there fetch the troll," she gestured to an older man off to their left, who looked over and waved, "but we requested Red Fountain's help because we're so short staffed this time of year." She turned back to the specialists. "Thanks so much for your time, Captain Chase. You and your squadron are a big help."

Before Helia could process exactly what she had said, the manager was walking away, and his squadmates were walking towards the woods past the fence.

Quickly catching up to them, Helia cut a glare at Chase.

"What did she mean by 'Captain Chase?'" he asked, his voice stony. He thought he had made it clear last time that they would no longer swap positions.

Chase scoffed. "Don't look at me. I'm not the one who contacted the reserve."

Helia's wide eyes turned to Eric, who was walking a little ahead of him. So, Eric was still upset with him. Upset enough to do something that he knew would get under Helia's skin and irritate him.

Helia let it go. It looked like he wouldn't be able to make it through the mission as cleanly as he had hoped.

The four of them walked in silence, only Lance speaking when something popped up on his radar. They followed the trail of broken trees and stomped vegetation, walking down the direct center of the new path.

They came to a cliff, where they could see the impact the troll had left by jumping down. Since they couldn't follow that way, they decided to scout around and find a path down. They were able to scale down but, unfortunately, lost sight of the trail.

Eventually, after searching for an hour or so, they found where the troll had been, leaving broken trees and flattened vegetation in its wake.

"How can we tell which direction it went?" Eric asked as the four of them came to a stop. The trail of debris stretched from their left to their right, and the troll was nowhere to be seen.

"Look at the way the trees are bent," Helia instructed, observing their surroundings carefully. "It looks like the troll was pushing them forward and away, so he went to the left."

Chase rolled his eyes. "What if the troll was pushing them back and went to the right? Just because you thought of it doesn't mean that you're right."

"I know that," Helia said defensively just as Lance spoke.

"Helia is right, though. The radar and map show that the reserve is to the right. The troll was trying to get away from it, not go towards it," Lance informed, looking from the map to the trail of damage.

"Then to the left, it is," Helia said, turning and leading the way. He tried not to feel smug because Chase had a point.

Again, they traveled in silence. Helia wanted nothing more than to be done with this mission, but they still hadn't found the troll. Even though they worked well together, helping each other over huge fallen trees or over riverbeds, they still were awkward and distant. No one said anything, and it made Helia feel strange. He always thought he'd prefer a squad that was quiet, but he was starting to grow uncomfortable with how silent the four of them were.

Unsurprisingly, they eventually found the troll, sitting in the middle of a creek. Its giant, green back was to them, so there was no way it could see them.

"Okay, so from here, it looks like Lance can fire the net no problem. It'll be tough getting the cuffs on it, though," Helia mused, half to himself, half to the others.

"Maybe one of us could sneak up on it and cuff one hand, and then the others could distract it while he cuffs the other," Eric suggested.

Helia quickly shook his head. "That won't work. The troll would notice something going around its wrist. It's too dangerous."

Eric crossed his arms over his chest. "And what do you suggest,  _Captain?_ "

Helia glared at Eric. He was getting sick and tired of the medic's sarcastic and belittling tone. Helia knew he was only acting out because he thought Helia betrayed him, but it still stung. If they finished this mission without getting into a fight, Helia would tell Eric the truth about Kendra. He really wished he had taken his brother's advice.

With Eric avoiding him, it had been hard to tell him the truth, but Helia was determined to fix it. Helia opened his mouth, but then closed it, realizing that an important mission wasn't the place to discuss personal topics.

And there was no way Chase would let it go if Helia suddenly started talking about a woman when the troll was sitting fifteen meters in front of them.

Just as Helia turned his attention back to the troll, it stood and walked forward, leaving the boys in its wake.


	9. Confrontation

"Nice job letting it get away," Chase sneered, folding his arms across his chest. "Is this some kind of huge scheme to make the capture look impressive?"

Helia looked after the troll's retreating back, ashamed that he had gotten caught up in his personal turmoil while on a mission. He didn't meet their eyes as he started forward.

"We just weren't able to form a solid plan in time," Helia defended, though he knew his voice sounded weak. He waded through the knee-deep water, crossing the creek and waiting for the others on the other side.

"Yeah,  _we_ ," Eric said with another annoying roll of his eyes.

"Eric had a good plan," Chase goaded, crossing the creek as well. "It's not like you had a better one, anyway."

"Eric's plan was dangerous," Helia stated, reaching a hand out to take the radar from Lance as he crossed the creek. "We have to let the troll run out of some energy before we try to capture it."

"And let it get closer to a city? Where it can wreak more havoc?"

Helia consulted the map, ignoring Chase and the way he got under Helia's skin.

"We have a five-kilometer radius before reaching civilization," Helia informed. "The woods have been blocked to hikers and campers, so there shouldn't be anyone but us in the woods. Now let's go."

He handed the radar back to Lance, and, after making sure everyone was across the creek, led the way down the path the troll had made. Again.

In his head, Helia was beating himself up. He hadn't thought of a plan, he'd gotten distracted, and his squadmates were doubting his ability to lead. It had spread from Chase to Eric, but Helia got the feeling Lance was beginning to doubt him, too. He didn't miss the skeptical look in Lance's eyes when Helia advised them to think about plans of capturing the troll.

Of course, not only was he taking verbal abuse in his mind, but his ears were as well.

Chase and Eric made snide comments about Helia, mocking what he said. He tried his best to let it go, but with everything going on, Helia was beginning to doubt himself, too. He was supposed to lead. He was supposed to oversee and command his squadmates on missions, and he could barely keep their attention without them getting dismissive.

Cordatorta had said that they were supposed to set an example of a good squadron to the other freshmen. And on paper, they did. Their squadron was the highest ranking of all the freshmen. They were top scorers in their classes. Their evaluations were the highest as well, meaning that the professors observed even greater potential.

And yet, every student knew the truth. They knew the distrust Chase had for Helia. They knew that Helia had trouble getting his squadron to follow orders. They also knew the rumors that Chase had spread about Helia using enhancement drugs and favoritism to get into Red Fountain. The rumors grew even faster when Eric stopped denying them.

Helia knew that Eric didn't defend him anymore, but he wasn't sure if Eric was pushing them like Chase. It hurt him to think that his childhood best friend would do that to him, so he didn't think about it.

In short, their squadron was rotting from the inside out.

And it was all Helia's fault.

The realization made Helia stop in his tracks, causing Chase to bump into him.

"Watch it," Chase mumbled, shoving around Helia.

Helia followed, quietly thinking of a way he could fix this. If he was a bad captain, then this meant he would have to step down. He knew that Chase and Eric, and probably Lance, would agree to this without hesitation, but he began to think harder.

If Helia stepped down, then that meant that Chase, Eric, or Lance would become captain. But that wasn't quite true. There was no way Chase would let someone else get the opportunity to become captain. And Helia knew that Eric would back Chase just to spite him. Hell, that's why he had told the reserve manager that Chase was the captain.

Things were spiraling out of Helia's control, and he didn't like it.

He was frustrated, not knowing what to do anymore. He couldn't ask for a new member since only sophomores and up were allowed squadrons bigger than four. But he couldn't let Chase become captain either. Chase would be a showboat, always having to one-up his former captain or display some sort of dominance. He would make Helia's life an even bigger hell than it already was.

But what else could he do? There had to be another option.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Eric started speaking.

"I think there should be a change when we get back," Eric said casually, but Helia could hear the malice underlying his tone.

"What kind of change?" Chase asked with fake curiosity.

Helia rolled his eyes. They were obviously just trying to irritate Helia further, but he was trying to ignore it.

"Why don't we report Zhao?" Eric questioned, pretending to talk in a secretive tone, but still loud enough for Helia to hear him. "After all, he is on enhancement drugs."

Helia's heart dropped. There was no way that Eric would do that. He wouldn't lie just to get Helia out of the captain position, would he? Hell, that kind of accusation would get him expelled if the professors thought it was true.

It broke his heart, every little, shattered piece falling into his stomach. He couldn't leave Red Fountain. He had done so much, worked so hard, just to prove that he deserved to be there. And with every obstacle he overcame, two more lay in his path.

He was getting tired of dealing with it. But he wasn't about to give up and take the abuse that was thrown at him.

"That's it, I'm done," Helia said with finality, realizing what he had to do to fix things.

"What, tired of walking?" Chase mocked, stopping to glare at Helia.

The others stopped walking, too, and Helia just shook his head. He noticed that they had stopped in a small clearing, the afternoon sun shining down on the flowers. If he weren't in such a stressful and serious situation, he would have admired them.

"No, I'm done with this squadron," he stated, looking each of them in the eye. "We're the best squadron of Red Fountain freshmen, but not nearly as good as we could be if we got along. With that in mind, as soon as we get back, I'm requesting that it be disbanded."

Lance's eyebrows shot upward and Eric and Chase both gaped.

"You can't do that!" Chase shouted, his face red with anger.

"I can, and I will," Helia said, his voice strong and confident. "This is for the best. It won't be hard to prove that the rumors stemmed from you, Chase."

Chase stepped forward, his face growing redder. "You think you can get away with anything, don't you, Zhao? Just because your grandfather is the headmaster doesn't mean you get to have everything handed to you!"

"I haven't had anything handed to me!" Helia shouted, his eyes blazing. The other three took a step back, surprised at Helia's anger. Even Eric had never seen Helia this upset.

"I've worked my ass off to get here, just like you," Helia defended, feeling sick to his stomach. "I trained every day for  _eight years_. I wanted to follow my family's tradition of graduating at Red Fountain! I didn't just wake up one Saturday morning last year and decide that I wanted to go here on a  _whim_."

Helia was tired of the relentless taunting the others threw his way. He was tired of ignoring the rumors. He was tired of  _letting everything go._  It wasn't in him to get violent, but this was by far the angriest he had ever been. He was pushed and pushed, all the way to his breaking point. He deserved to be here, but he was tired of having to prove it over and over and over again to someone who was supposed to respect him. The only solution was to have the squadron disbanded. It would mean none of them would be on a team together again, as soon as they finished up their freshman year.

If they were all separated, it'd be easier for Helia to fix things with them one by one.

Chase opened his mouth, ready to retort, but a roar ripped through the air, silencing them as the troll stomped into the little clearing.


	10. I'm Sorry

The boys reacted quickly, Lance expanding his shield and moving in front of the others. He muttered a spell, and his shield grew twice its normal size, protecting them from the chunks of dirt the troll was throwing at them.

Helia took in his surroundings. This clearing wasn't very large, maybe ten meters in diameter. The troll took a lumbering step forward, closing the distance even more.

"I'll bind it with my ropes," Helia said quickly, looking briefly to the others before his eyes returned to the troll. "Chase, you and Eric come in with the cuffs from behind while Lance and I keep its' attention forward."

Helia heard a scoff and took his eyes off the troll to see Eric rolling his eyes and Chase shaking his head.

"That won't work," Chase said. "The troll will sense us coming up from behind. Are you trying to get us killed?"

Helia stood up straight as the troll roared again. "What are you talking about? Lance and I will keep its' full attention and it'll be bound with my ropes. You two will be fine! Now, do as I said so that this mission can finally be over."

"How can we trust you to keep it bound?" Eric asked, expanding his laser spear. "You don't like Chase, so how do we know you won't try to make it look like we ruined the mission? Maybe you'll blame Chase for this mission's failure, too?"

The captain was taken aback. Eric's words were harsh and scathing, and his gaze was equally as hateful.

"Can't think of a comeback, can you?" Eric asked sarcastically, stepping to the edge of Lance's protective shield.

Helia just blinked in surprise and opened his mouth, but no words came out. Sure, Helia had overheard things Eric said, but he never thought Eric would be so mad that he would insult Helia so harshly to his face.

"That's what I thought," Eric said, turning to face the troll.

Helia looked between the other squad members. Lance was just focused on keeping them protected, and Chase was smirking triumphantly.

"Look around you, Zhao," Eric called, looking over his shoulder at Helia. "We don't need you. Disbanding our squadron will only prove it."

And with that, Eric stepped out from behind the shield, ducking and dodging the hurtled rocks and chunks of earth and branches as he hurried over to the troll.

"Eric! Eric, get back here!" Helia yelled, worry and anxiety engulfing him. He hurried to go after Eric, but Chase stopped him.

"He's got this," Chase said, grabbing his shoulder. "Let someone else have the spotlight, Zhao."

"He doesn't have a plan! He doesn't even have backup!" Helia shouted, glaring at Chase and shaking off his hand. He stepped out from behind the shield, his eyes rapt on his old friend. When Eric got close enough, he stabbed the troll in the knee, causing it to roar in pain and swat its' hand at Eric.

The brunet dodged, keeping his spear in front of him. With a yell, Eric lunged at the troll again, but this time the troll was ready for the attack.

It was like everything was happening in slow motion. Helia began to run across the clearing, yelling for the troll's attention, but it was focused on Eric. With a swift motion, the troll grabbed Eric's spear and flung it upwards, taking Eric with it.

The momentum of the swing caused Eric to let go, and he went sailing straight up into the air, several meters high. Gravity was a cruel constant, and soon brought Eric back down to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Eric!" Helia yelled, restraining the troll with his laser strings. Lance rushed forward and began to cuff the troll and Chase stood dazedly, watching everything unfold.

"Eric!" Helia yelled again when his friend still hadn't answered or moved. "Eric!" He glanced over to see Lance struggling with the cuffs. "Chase, go help him! Call the ship! Call Cordatorta! Call for help! Do something goddammit!"

His breathing was heavy and ragged, his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths as he watched Chase run over to where Eric had fallen. Lance got the cuffs on the troll and it went slack in Helia's ropes. The two remaining squad members ran over to Eric once they were sure the troll was out of energy to fight.

"He's alive!" Chase called, looking over his shoulder as Helia and Lance approached. "His right leg looks broken, though."

Lance hurriedly began to make a bandage out of Eric's cape, and Helia got on his communicator and hit  _Emergency Call_. "Man down!" Helia called, his eyes fixed on Eric. "Eric Porter fell from several meters. He's unconscious but breathing. His right leg looks broken and he's bleeding. Please, send help to our location as quickly as possible." Helia rattled off their coordinates and hung up, kneeling next to Eric.

"Eric, come on," Helia said quietly, tapping Eric's cheek a few times. "Eric wake up, dude. Please."

Helia felt his stomach drop and tears came to his eyes. Eric didn't seem to be responding, but after a few moments, he began to stir, much to everyone's relief. His eyes fluttered open before he squeezed them shut.

"Eric, stay with me," Helia called, his heart racing as he turned his friend's head. "Eric, open your eyes and look at me." Lance tried to muster up a healing spell, but he had dropped his wand somewhere in the clearing.

The brunet obeyed, opening his mouth slightly. "H . . . Helia," he called softly, licking his dry lips. "Helia, I'm sorry," he muttered, reaching up with one hand to grip Helia's wrist.

Helia quickly shook his head. "No, don't worry about it," Helia said quietly. "Everything is fine, I don't blame you for anything that happened today. You'll be okay."

Eric shook his head. "That's not what I meant." His face was pale, making his eyes seem darker than normal. Much darker. "I'm sorry I blamed you over break. I'm sorry for everything I said about you. I just got so upset, and I let it all get out of hand."

He coughed, blood coming out of his mouth.

Helia shook his head, feeling like tears were about to spill. Everything that had happened between them since break seemed so small now, so insignificant. "It's okay, Eric, I forgive you. Don't worry about that right now, though. We can talk about it later. Help will be here any minute."

* * *

Medics arrived and took Eric to the hospital. Cordatorta was right behind them. As the medic ship left the clearing, Cordatorta watched the remaining members of the squadron, his eyes hard with disappointment and anger.

"I'm not going to yell at ya," he said, his arms folded across his chest. "But you boys are on probation indefinitely. There will be a disciplinary hearing for each of you within the week. Until then, we'll be heading to Headmaster Saladin's office to brief him." He turned his back on the three and barked out orders to the seniors who had accompanied him. "Joseph! Rook! Take the troll to the reserve and fly their ship back to Red Fountain. They'll be coming back on my ship."

"Yes, sir!" the two seniors called back, marching to the ship that now held the captive troll.

Helia, Lance, and Chase followed Cordatorta, their heads bowed in shame. Helia was silent as tears threatened his eyes, his chest tight with worry for Eric.

Once back at school, Lance, Helia, and Chase sat with their heads bowed in front of Headmaster Saladin's desk. The air was heavy with tension and everyone was silent.

Helia couldn't meet his grandfather's gaze. The pity, the disappointment. . .

Helia didn't think he'd be able to handle it without bursting into tears from the stress  _and_  his grandfather's reaction.

"Well, boys," Saladin began. "We know Eric is in operation right now. Things are looking up, but they can't be certain until after his surgery." He paused, letting the seriousness of the situation weigh on the boys. "Let's start with what happened." Helia felt his grandfather's eyes on him. "What happened, Captain Helia?"

Helia felt his chest constrict. Still not lifting his head, Helia opened his mouth, but no words came out. He tried to speak again, but still, no sound came out. Instead, he simply shook his head, bringing his hands up over his face.

He felt tears silently fall for the first time as his grandfather softly dismissed everyone. He supported his elbows on his knees as he took a deep breath in.

He felt his grandfather's hand stroke his hair.

"Everything will be okay, my boy," his grandfather called softly. "Eric will make it through surgery, I'm sure of it."

Helia leaned his head against his grandfather and cried quietly, sniffling on occasion. His grandfather whispered comforting words to him, but Helia paid them no mind.

He had a bad feeling about all of this. As though the worst was yet to come.


	11. The Trial

Helia sat in the uncomfortable metal chair, his spine rigid. In front of him, sitting in a line along a long table, were the head teachers from each department. Cordatorta, Dossik, the head of weapon-smith classes, the head of dormitories, the head of technological classes, and the head of ship-related classes. In the center sat his grandfather, the headmaster.

Everyone's face was solemn as Dossik brought the hearing to order.

"We're gathered here today to discuss the events that occurred one week ago, and the discipline that will come of it. In front of us, we have Helia Zhao, captain of squadron Alpha 5208. He is before us today on accounts of bad judgment, bad leadership, and squadron negligence that led to the death of Eric Porter, a student also in squadron Alpha 5208."

Helia flinched when Dossik mentioned Eric. It had been a week since the incident. Eric had landed badly in the fall and had unfortunately died in the hospital a day later from a ruptured vessel in his brain. Just thinking about it made his chest hurt. Helia had come back from the funeral on Linphea yesterday, and he was still a little numb. The realization that he wouldn't be able to see Eric again hadn't exactly hit him yet. Helia took deep breaths to try to calm himself, feeling his throat get thick with emotion as he remembered his friend.

"Punishment suggestions are now open. If I may," Dossik said quickly before someone else could speak, "I propose expulsion from Red Fountain. The gross negligence of his squadmates is what led to Mr. Porter's death. And that will not happen again. This is an example that needs to be set. Captains cannot think that they are above their squadmates." As he finished speaking, Dossik looked to the other professors to see if any agreed, but the other men were stone-faced, not giving away anything.

Helia felt his jaw go slack. Never in a million years would he think someone would want him expelled for an accident, nor that a professor would believe that Helia imagined himself better than anyone, much less a squadmate. The thought that someone in their right mind believed Helia to be the reason for his best friend's death. . . . It made Helia's stomach turn over on itself.

Dossik opened his mouth to continue, but he was interrupted by another professor.

"Dr. Dossik," spoke up the head of dormitories, Mr. Hozumi. "I think you forget yourself. Mr. Porter died of an aneurysm. These can happen to anyone at any time." Hozumi looked from Dossik to Helia. "I do believe Mr. Zhao deserves a punishment, but not because of Mr. Porter's death."

"And what do you propose instead?" asked the head of technological classes, Mr. Rynfield.

"I propose stripping Mr. Zhao of his title as captain, and the disbandment of Alpha 5208." The head of ship-related classes, Mr. Yun, nodded along as Hozumi spoke. "Maybe we bring Mr. Zhao back in the summer for special training as a way of learning better leadership and communication skills." He looked to Saladin and hesitantly continued. "I do believe that this situation brings something to light about Red Fountain. We have so long left the boys to cope with internal struggles themselves, and then we wonder why so many ask to be disbanded after only one year together. Perhaps we start another set of classes to teach them team building and leadership skills."

Saladin nodded thoughtfully, his eyes never leaving Helia. "I do believe you are right, Hozumi. But that idea is for another meeting." The old man shifted in his seat, jotting something down on a notepad in front of him. "So your proposal was to disband Alpha 5208 and to get He- Mr. Zhao into a summer class for special training?"

"Yes," Mr. Hozumi confirmed, and a few other professors nodded as well.

"Does anyone else have a suggestion?" Saladin asked, and Helia heard the confliction that hid in his tone. What a situation to be in: torn between wanting to comfort your grandson and wanting nothing but the best outcome, but also having to think of what was best for the school.

Dossik spoke up, his face turning red. "I don't think we should give this brat anything. His actions and lack of leadership led to the death of another student, and that is not acceptable!"

"Dr. Dossik," Mr. Feldman, the head of weapon-smith classes, interrupted. "I do ask that you remember we professors are to be unbiased and impartial to our students. Handing out unjust punishments to a student you may not like is unacceptable, correct?"

Saladin looked at Dossik, who wouldn't meet the headmaster's eyes.

"Mr. Zhao," Cordatorta began, resting his clasped hands on the table in front of him. "I would like to hear from you the events that led up to this terrible accident."

Helia swallowed nervously, unsure if he could even talk. He opened his mouth, his lips dry, and forced himself to speak.

"We left for the mission at six that morning. We went to the troll's last known location, scouted around, and followed the tracks of the troll. We followed them together, watching the radar map. We found the troll quickly, but due to an unexpected circumstance, it escaped."

"And what was this unexpected circumstance?" Rynfield asked, leaning forward.

Helia swallowed again but kept his eyes on the professor. If he looked away from them, he might not be able to keep talking.

"I was trying to come up with a plan, but the troll ran off before I could think of one that wasn't dangerous."

"Hmm," Rynfield hummed. "It is important to work quickly."

"Continue," Cordatorta ordered Helia, casting a glance at Rynfield.

"Well, after that, our morale was down, and due to tension already present in the group—"

"What tension?" Dossik eagerly asked. Helia hated that man. He'd never thought before in his life that he could hate someone, but this man was vile.

"Let the boy finish, and then we'll get to that," Cordatorta snapped. He nodded at Helia to keep going.

"Due to our inability to work together, our group was arguing when the troll approached us in a clearing. I made a new plan and told them what to do, but . . . Eric didn't listen to me. I called for him to come back, but he attacked the troll, and it grabbed his staff, and then Eric was in the air and he fell back down. Lance and I restrained the troll while Chase went to where Eric had landed . . ."

Cordatorta held up a hand to stop him, which Helia gladly did. It had taken him at least six minutes to get through that last part, having to stop and take deep breaths to keep himself calm.

"So, the death was not caused by Mr. Zhao," Hozumi concluded. "Not to speak ill of the deceased, but it seems as though it was a bad judgment on Mr. Porter's side that led to the accident."

"As sad as this situation is, I agree with Hozumi," Yun spoke up. "But, Mr. Zhao, we must know why there was tension to fully understand why this happened."

"I understand," Helia said quietly. He cleared his throat and took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, and exhaled.

"There were stories of me using . . . enhancement drugs going around the school," Helia began. He saw Saladin softly flinch, but he kept talking. "At first, my squadmates did not believe them, but when the other two found out that my grandfather was our headmaster, they began to question me. I found out that one of them believed me to only be admitted because of my grandfather's position. This distrust in me spread to the two others."

"And was it Mr. Porter who accused you of this?" Yun asked.

"No," Helia answered. "Eric and I had an argument over winter break. Instead of fixing it as quickly as I should have, I thought giving him space would be the best option. But because of space, Eric grew to not trust me." Helia felt his hands shaking furiously and quickly folded them together in his lap.

"I see."

"An issue such as distrust is a big one," Feldman informed, frowning at Helia. "Why did you not resolve it before things got out of hand?"

Helia sighed quietly. He knew this question had been coming. "I tried, sir. Two of my squad mates were avoiding me, and the other did not want to be involved. And quite honestly, I thought I would have more time."

The professors nodded, each of them either gazing at Helia or writing something down on the notepads in front of them.

After a moment of silence, Saladin spoke up. "If there are no more proposals of discipline, I say we begin the vote." The others nodded and sat up straighter. "In favor of . . . Mr. Dossik's proposal?"

Dossik and Rynfield raised their hands.

"In favor of Mr. Hozumi's proposal?"

Cordatorta, Hozumi, Yun, and Feldman raised their hands. His heartbeat increased, but it wasn't relief he felt. He felt jittery, but not in a good way. Things were going as he had hoped, but this outcome turned out to not be what he wanted.

Something didn't feel right. Helia thought he'd be relieved to stay at Red Fountain, but all he felt was dread. His stomach flipped and turned at the thought of staying, and he couldn't hold it in. Before his grandfather could continue, Helia leaped to his feet and loudly stated, "I would like to drop out of Red Fountain."

* * *

"Helia, my boy, where will you go?"

Helia stood in Saladin's office, leaning over the desk and signing the paperwork to become an official dropout of Red Fountain. Saladin sat behind the desk, looking sadly at his youngest grandson.

With the last signature, Helia slid the stack of papers over to his grandfather. "I don't know," he admitted honestly, setting his laser string gloves on the desk as well. "I know I'll be at home for the rest of the semester and the summer, but maybe in the fall, I'll go to an art school. I always thought I'd end up there if I hadn't gotten into Red Fountain."

They locked eyes and Saladin gave a sad smile as he came out from behind his desk to hug his grandson. "I want the best for you Helia, and if you think this is it, then I support you."

Helia hugged the old man back, relief finally filling his heart and his throat getting thick. "Thank you," he whispered.

* * *

After a long chat with his grandfather, Helia went back to his dorm to get his things. He would get the things he could fit in his bags, and anything leftover would be shipped back.

Outside in the hall, however, Helia noticed that his dorm's door was ajar. Cautiously pushing it open, he found that the entire dorm was a mess. Trash was strewn everywhere, paper and little trinkets ripped from desks and drawers.

Helia carefully stepped in, his heart heavy.

His dorm room was destroyed. His mattress and blankets had tears in them, his lamp was smashed on the floor, and his desk was a disaster area. Someone had taken all his paints and emptied them all over Helia's other supplies, effectively ruining every piece of paper, completed, or half-completed drawing or painting he had done. His journal lay open, each poem and entry scribbled over with a marker or lewd phrases.

Helia felt numb as he gazed at it all. His personal belongings had been rifled through and destroyed, but that wasn't what made him upset.

On the wall above his bed, someone had taken red paint to the white wall and painted ' _A murderer sleeps here_ ' with an arrow pointing down.

His chest constricted and Helia sat down heavily in his ripped desk chair, shock overwhelming him. It was at that moment that Chase and Lance walked in. The two quietly stepped into the room. Chase crouched next to Helia and placed a hand on his shoulder. Lance got out his wand and began cleaning the mess.

"Helia, I'm so sorry," the blond said quietly. "I'm sorry for everything I've ever said and done. I know it doesn't mean much now, but I want you to know that."

Helia looked over at Chase and blinked slowly. "Did you do this?" he asked, confusion, hurt, anger, and regret swirling around inside of him.

Chase shook his head. "No, I didn't. Lance and I had just got back from combat training when we found one vandal painting that and the other cutting into your pillow." Helia stood slowly and Chase followed. "We caught them and reported them, of course. They're on probation right now and have disciplinary hearings in a week."

Helia noticed Chase's bloody knuckles and a black eye. "What happened?" he asked, slowly moving around the room as Lance fixed things.

Lance and Chase looked at each other. "We beat them up," Chase said, his voice low as he began to pick up random pieces of trash. "They're both in the infirmary now. Lance and I are on even stricter probation now. Our disciplinary hearings were moved from later today to the day after tomorrow."

Helia nodded slowly, not understanding why they had both defended him so fiercely.

"Our squadron is a brotherhood," Lance said, putting his wand away. "Even if it gets disbanded, we are still brothers."

Chase nodded. "And brothers fight. But what we did was too much. We went too far. And for that, we're sorry." The blond looked to Lance. "And we heard about the trial." The two looked back to Helia. "Are you really going to drop out?" His voice was soft, but Helia could hear the shocked disbelief.

Helia nodded, meeting their eyes in turn. "I hate to disband our unit, but I don't belong at Red Fountain. I have to get away from this place. Too many bad memories. I've already filled out the paperwork."

Lance gazed at his former squadmate solemnly. "We understand," he murmured. "We want you to know that Eric's death was not your fault."

Helia stood and began to pack his things. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I appreciate your comforting me." He found that Lance had arranged his things in an easy-to-pack manner. He was functioning a bit on auto-pilot, but their words registered deeply in his heart.

Chase quickly said, "And we want you to know that you deserved to be here, just like the rest of us. You weren't any different than us, and I'm sorry that I acted as though you were. I acted better than you, and I know that was wrong. I let jealousy control me. I respect you a lot, Helia, and again, I'm sorry."

Helia could hear the regret clear in his voice. Putting the last of his things into his suitcase, he zipped it closed and turned to his old squadmates.

"Thank you for the apology," he told them sincerely. He shook both of their hands, his heart a bit lighter. Picking up his suitcase and backpack, Helia looked at the two, feeling a little better knowing he had people willing to defend him now. "I'll keep in touch."


	12. Back Again

Helia woke up to his phone ringing. The shrill sound pierced the early morning lull, stirring Helia's roommate as well.

Quickly answering it, Helia mumbled quietly, "Hello?"

"Hey, how is my favorite little brother?"

Helia pulled on sweatpants and stepped outside of his room and into the hall, smiling as his older brother rambled on.

"Things at the house are good! Mom misses you, and I do, too. But unfortunately, I didn't call just to have a quick chat," his brother went on. Helia could hear the hesitation in his voice. "The real reason I called is that Grandfather sent a letter requesting our presence at the grand re-opening ceremony of Red Fountain. He wants us to come and stay for the week and leave the day after the ceremony."

Helia sighed, memories of his freshman year coming back. "I'm not sure I can go," Helia began, searching for an excuse. "I've got a big painting midterm coming up, and-"

His brother cut him off. "Helia, it takes place over a break of yours. You can take a few days off, go to Red Fountain, and then come home. He isn't asking you to re-enroll."

Helia sighed again, regretting having given his brother his schedule of classes, and leaned against the wall next to his door. "I know that, Alexandros. I just don't think I'm ready to see that place again. It holds a lot of bad memories for me."

Helia heard his brother let out a long breath. "Helia, I want to tell you something. I didn't tell you this before because I didn't want you to think anything of it." Alex paused and Helia listened intently. "When I enrolled, I didn't do nearly as well as you did. I wasn't the captain of my squadron as a freshman."

"I know that," Helia interrupted, annoyed.

"Let me finish," his brother said calmly. "I didn't do well  _on purpose_. I knew what other people would say if I did  _too_ well by their standards, so I purposefully made myself seem dumber. I didn't realize that this was a bad thing until halfway through my second year. I realized teachers thought I was stupid, and that Father and Grandfather were disappointed in me, though they would never say that. So, from that moment on, I didn't let what people thought of me get to me. By my last year, I was the captain of a  _six-person_ squadron, head of two clubs, and chief battle strategist. I did my work, put in my blood, sweat, and tears, and I ignored everyone else. That's what you have to do if you truly want to be a specialist."

The two were quiet for a moment. Helia let his brother's passionate words sink in.

"I don't even know if I want to be a specialist!" Helia quietly called out. "I didn't like being captain. I don't want that attention."

Alex sighed, and Helia imagined him running a hand through his hair. "Look, I get it, Helia. You don't want that level of public attention. I understand that. But that comes with being a specialist. It's how you handle it that affects you and your life."

"Why didn't you warn me that I would be put through hell by my classmates?" Helia asked quietly after a moment, pulling his long hair over one shoulder. "I figured it would be bad, but I didn't know it would be  _that_  horrible."

Alex sighed, and Helia could hear him rummaged through papers. "I thought that maybe the kids had gotten better in the six years that I hadn't been there, and I guess the opposite happened," Alex explained. "But look. This new Red Fountain is a new beginning. It won't hold all those bad memories anymore. It's been over two years. Please, learn from my mistake and look at what I did. You may have to lay low at first, but it'll turn out fine in the end." There was a pause, and tense, uncertain silence hung in the air. "Just . . . think about going to the ceremony, okay? I'm not trying to ask you to go back to Red Fountain as a student. That's your decision to make. But it would mean the world to Grandfather to see you there for the ceremony."

". . . . Okay."

* * *

Three weeks later, Helia got off the bus at Red Fountain. It was early in the morning; the sun was just beginning to rise. Standing at the bus stop was his grandfather. Headmaster Saladin.

Smiling, Helia hugged his grandfather. "It's wonderful to see you again, Grandfather. Congratulations on the new school." The two separated and began heading down the walkway that led to the school.

"Thank you, my boy! But the reveal hasn't even happened yet!" his grandfather declared proudly. "Just you wait for the ceremony!" Helia chuckled as they rounded a corner, coming into what used to be the giant, cobblestone courtyard where the shuttles would drop off the freshmen.

"Now, your mother and brother are already here, but they are currently in the Alumni Quarters. You must stay in the Visitor Quarters if that's okay," his grandfather continued.

Helia nodded, but he wasn't exactly paying attention. He looked around the courtyard, memories of his freshmen year coming back. But this place was very different now. There were holes and craters and piles of broken stone everywhere. One corner had been completely broken off.

A pathway was directed by caution tape and safety cones, winding around holes and rubble. Helia let his gaze drift to the stairs.

The stairs where he first met his squadmates. Where he and Eric had walked up, together, towards their new and unknown future.

Those stairs were now crumbling from both sides. A pathway up them had been cleared of rubble, but Helia noticed even some of those stairs were crumbling.

Helia felt a pang in his heart. A longing for his old best friend.

_He should be here_ , Helia thought, slowly stepping forward.  _But I can't change the past._

Helia stopped walking when he was at the foot of the stairs. He realized that he had subconsciously packed the same suitcase and brought his backpack. The weight of the two seemed heavier than he remembered. For a moment, Helia closed his eyes, imagining Cordatorta standing up there, calling out the names of his squadron.

Opening his eyes, Helia took in the sight that was bathed in the early morning sun. He could hear birds in the nearby trees. The first time he climbed these stairs, the sun had already set. Now, the final time he would climb these stairs, the sun was rising.

Helia thought the metaphor of a new day as a new start appropriate as he climbed the stairs slowly.

_I'll be alright,_ Helia thought, taking in a deep breath.

Saladin watched his grandson with pride shining in his eyes. His youngest grandson had been through a lot, but after everything life threw at him, Helia rose above it. He came out stronger and better, and Saladin couldn't respect him more. Even if he didn't want to be a specialist, Saladin knew that his grandson would do just fine in life.

_He'll be alright,_  the old man thought, a proud smile gracing his lips as he watched his grandson ascend the staircase.

* * *

Once he was settled in, Helia lounged on his bed, unsure of what to do. He had brought a drawing pad and his writing journal, but neither of those felt appealing. But he grabbed his journal anyway and left the small room.

It was hard to find somewhere nice to sit that wasn't in a cautioned off area, but Helia eventually found a secluded stone bench on the side of the old castle grounds. The early afternoon sun felt nice as Helia lounged, calmly rereading and fixing some of his old poems.

He heard footsteps and glanced up to see Cordatorta walking towards him, a broad smile on his face. Some Red Fountain students followed a bit further back. Helia stood to greet them.

"Helia, my boy! I heard you were here! You know you're hard to find, don't ya?" his old instructor called, reaching Helia. They shook hands in greeting and Helia bowed his head respectfully.

"It's great to see you again, Cordatorta. How are things here?"

"Oh, things are wonderful! Thanks to those witches, we finally have an excuse to upgrade our school! Tradition is important, but so is keeping up with the times!" The two men laughed, and Cordatorta continued.

"Now, I know you know this place, but since you're a visitor, I must assign a squadron of boys to show you around." He beckoned the team of four closer. "These will be your escorts should you find yourself lost! This is Prince Sky of Eraklyon, Brandon, Riven, and Timmy!"

"Pleasure to meet you all," Helia said, bowing politely.

The blond man, Prince Sky, smiled and bowed back a little as Cordatorta continued.

"These are the top students from the junior class, you know!" The students' cheeks turned pink, but they each stood a bit straighter. Helia remembered what it was like receiving praise like that from Cordatorta. The man normally had a critical thing to say about everything. To get praise out of the blue:  _that_  meant something.

"Boys, this is Helia, Saladin's grandson. He's been here before, so I'm sure ya just need to be on standby! I'm making it your task to help him feel welcome! Now, I'm counting on you all."

"Really, Cordatorta, I appreciate the offer, but I assure you I will be fine," Helia said, smiling kindly. "I'm sure they're busy preparing for the celebration in a few days. I can't ask them to be worried about a stranger at the same time."

"Yeah, what are we, tour guides  _and_ nannies?" Riven said quietly, but Sky elbowed him in the ribs quickly.

"Then, how about this?" the brunet man, Brandon, interjected, stepping forward. "I can give you our contact information, and if you find yourself lost or have a question, you can just call. That way we can continue our preparations and you don't have us in your hair."

The five of them looked to Cordatorta, but he simply shrugged. "Do what you boys think is best," the instructor advised. "I know Helia can take care of himself. He wasn't my best student for nothing!"

And with those parting words, Cordatorta left, leaving an embarrassed, red-faced Helia fumbling for words.

"Why would he tell us to watch over a graduate? Isn't that the seniors' job?" Riven mumbled staring up at the school.

"I'm, uh, not a graduate," Helia quietly admitted, digging his phone out of his pocket so he could get the necessary information as Brandon got his own phone out.

Brandon, Timmy, and Sky hummed in confusion as Riven turned around to face Helia.

"I dropped out two years ago, towards the end of my freshman year," Helia explained, still a bit red. He wasn't ashamed of dropping out, he just didn't like to talk about why.

"So, you'd be a senior today, if you had stayed," Timmy guessed. At Helia's nod, Timmy nodded softly back and averted his gaze, thinking hard. After a small, awkward pause, Timmy asked, "Why did you leave?"

"I'm more of a pacifist," Helia responded vaguely. He'd learned that that was the quickest and vaguest answer he could give that was still true. Handing his phone to Brandon, Helia shifted uncomfortably, but he doubted any of them noticed.

"What have you been doing instead?" Sky asked, leaning against the crumbling stone wall.

"Art school," Helia answered, holding up his journal for a moment before tucking it under his arm. Brandon handed his phone back with an invite to call whenever he needed them.

Riven opened his mouth, but a loud siren interrupted him. It echoed throughout the grounds, startling the five of them.

The four specialists rolled their eyes and looked at each other, Riven groaning a bit. Helia gave them a small smile, recalling what it was for.

"Good luck with the safety inspection," Helia chuckled, recalling just how long that process took.

The other boys grinned back at him. "Thanks," Sky said. "Hopefully we'll be one of the first ships inspected."

"It was nice to meet you, Helia," Brandon called as the four boys headed to the hangar.

"You four as well," Helia called back, heading back inside the school.

* * *

The next day came and went easily. He still hadn't seen Lance or Chase, but he knew he eventually would. He hadn't called the junior specialists, but he did see them around and they exchanged polite conversation. Helia liked the four of them. They all seemed nice, Riven a bit snarky, but otherwise, Helia found them enjoyable to be around. The way they carried themselves reminded Helia of his first few months at Red Fountain, when he and his own squadron worked together like a well-oiled machine.

Eventually, the day of the celebration came. Helia had just finished getting ready when he felt his grandfather's presence just outside of his door. The old man had such a familiar and magical presence, anyone in the family could sense when Saladin was near.

"Come in," Helia called, standing up from his bed.

Saladin walked in, carrying a small, white box. Before he spoke, Helia knew immediately what it was.

"My boy. I know you might not believe it, but I bring these to you as a gift of remembrance." Saladin handed the box to Helia, who opened it as the old man continued. "I want you to keep these to remember your time here at Red Fountain, however brief. I know the place doesn't mean the most to you, but you did well here, whether you believe that or not."

Helia found just what he suspected: his old laser string gloves. He gently took them out, inspecting them closely.

"You'll find that they're in perfect condition," his grandfather instructed. "I made sure to keep them that way. They still work, but I know you have no reason to use them."

"But . . . why?" Helia asked, looking up at him.

Saladin smiled fondly. "My grandson, I already told you. I know giving out weapons to civilians isn't allowed, but this is for a different circumstance. You were once the pride and joy of the Red Fountain faculty, you know. I want you to know that we all believed in you as a student. You always received high praise from every department when reports were filed."

Helia stared, slack-jawed. He had no idea where his grandfather was going with this. Was this a way for the old man to get Helia back at Red Fountain, or was it just what he said it was?

Before Helia could press or ask anything, Saladin hit the bottom of his staff against the floor, startling his youngest grandson. "It is almost time for the ceremony, you know. I suggest you take your things to the arena."

Helia nodded slowly, standing and gathering a small sketchpad and some other materials. Saladin left the room, and Helia followed, not realizing that he still had the gloves in his hand. Something about them made Helia nervous. But he wasn't sure if it was a bad feeling about the gloves or a bad feeling about the day to come.

Quickly stuffing everything into his bag, Helia followed his grandfather down the hall.


	13. The Opening Ceremony

Helia sat in the arena bleachers, painting images of the pigeons in front of him with black watercolor paint. He'd already gone through several pages, trying to capture their essence in only a few strokes. And now, a pigeon landed directly in front of him, and Helia hurried to paint it.

Faintly, he could hear a familiar voice making conversation with others, but he wasn't about to lose his focus on this pigeon. It was holding still as though it wanted to be painted.

"Well, here we are." That voice belonged to Prince Sky, but Helia didn't bother looking up. From his peripherals, he could tell it was a rather large group. Maybe he was giving a tour?

"The geometric structure of this place is awesome!" That was an unknown girl speaking.

"Wow, look over there." Another unknown girl, but Helia could tell it was the girl with dark skin, as he sensed her eyes on him.

"Who's that? He's kinda cute." A blonde girl said, putting a finger against her lip in thought.

"Uh, nobody," scoffed Brandon. By this time, Helia was focusing more on them than the pigeon, but he thought the conversation would be more interesting anyway.

"Actually, that's Saladin's grandson," Timmy said, lifting a hand to interject.

"So, he must be a talented specialist," came a soft, feminine voice. Helia sat a little straighter when she said that.

"Him? No way, he's a real pacifist. Doesn't even like to get his hands dirty," Brandon said, and even though his back was to Helia, he could tell Brandon was frowning.

"As a matter of fact, I heard he dropped out of Red Fountain," Timmy said, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

Helia finally decided to fully acknowledge them. Looking up fully from his paper, Helia turned his head to look at the group, slightly raising an eyebrow in question. What was so wrong with dropping out or being a pacifist? He had his reasons, and they didn't need to be explained to people he had just met.

"Hey Helia, let me introduce you," Brandon said, approaching him and bringing the girls along, too. Helia could sense that this was Brandon's version of damage control. "Meet the stars of Alfea. This is Stella, Tecna, and-"

"Hi, I'm Stella! Are you an artist? Can you show me your sketches?" the girl named Stella interjected, excitedly stepping forward and looking eagerly at the sketch pad in Helia's hands.

Helia stood and bowed, knowing that Stella was the princess of Solaria. Only someone who lived under a rock didn't know that.

"Pleased to meet you," he said, intending for it to be to every new face, but he worried it came off as though it was only to Stella.

"Why do you draw on paper? Graphic palettes are so handy," Tecna, a girl with pink hair, asked, coming closer and gesturing toward the pad of paper.

"You've got up to 50 undoes in a memory, and digital Chroma control, and all the layers you could possibly want," a small voice came. Helia looked up to find a pixie floating nearby, looking between Helia's paper and its own armband. He raised an eyebrow, not sure where this was going. "You also get alpha channels, texturizing," it continued, listing off more things.

The girl named Stella spoke up, but the small pixie kept talking. "Wow these are great," the blonde said, flipping through the most recent sketches. She handed the notepad off to the green-eyed girl next to her. Helia was watching the sketchbook like a hawk, so when it landed in the other girl's hands, his heart began racing. "Can you draw a portrait of me?" Stella asked, batting her eyelashes at Helia, but he was still focused on the girl with green eyes.

"Your lines are full of life!" the tanned beauty exclaimed, stepping forward. Helia felt as though his heart skipped a beat when he heard her voice. "One can really sense the energy. And I love the way your brush strokes match the fern-leaf in the paper!"

She handed over the sketchbook, her dazzling green eyes rooting Helia to the spot. "No one's ever noticed the fern in the paper before," Helia confessed quietly, smiling softly as he kept his gaze on her.

The girl giggled shyly, and Brandon cleared his throat. "And this is Flora," Brandon introduced, smiling knowingly at the two.

"Hm, Flora," Helia muttered softly, looking into those beautiful green eyes again. Something about them had Helia entranced, and all it did was make him want to get to know her. He could stare into them forever, but he quickly realized that might seem creepy, so he hurriedly said, "Nice to meet you, Flora." He liked the way her name came out of his mouth. "Where are you from?"

"Linphea," she answered, smiling shyly. "What about yourself?"

"Me, too," Helia answered, smiling back and ignoring the looks everyone was giving the two. "Are you from the mainland?" She nodded and Helia's smile widened. "So am I. What city?"

Flora opened her mouth to respond, a beautiful, excited smile on her rosy pink lips, but Sky interrupted, looking at his phone.

"Sorry to cut this short, but we have to get going if we want to be ready in time," the blond explained, looking up to see Flora glaring at him and Helia gazing off to the side, his cheeks pink. Sky's mouth dropped into a small 'o' as he looked between the two.

"He's right," Timmy said, checking his watch. "It's almost eleven."

"Eleven?" Helia asked with a start. "Oh, I've got some old friends to meet." He quickly made sure he had everything before looking at the group again. "It was nice to meet you, ladies. I apologize for having to leave so soon."

And with that, Helia hurried away, his heart thumping in his ears and his face hot.

* * *

Catching up with Chase and Lance had been fun. They'd kept in touch over the years, but this was one of the rare times that the three of them could see each other at the same time. Their conversation had been light and positive, and Helia laughed when he heard about Lance's squadron beating Chase's squadron in the obstacle course.

Trying to be sly, Helia asked, "Have you guys ever met a girl named Flora who goes to Alfea?"

Okay, maybe it wasn't that sly.

His old friends chuckled, knowing what he meant.

"Yeah, she's a part of the Winx Club," Chase answered, smiling knowingly. "Great girl. Super nice and charming."

"Single, too, from what I hear," Lance added, giving Helia a similar look.

Helia tried to ignore the teasing, but he grinned, relieved.

After their brief conversation, Helia wished them luck in the competitions and made his way back to the bleachers. He'd silently hoped that Flora would still be in that area with her friends, but he didn't see them. His heart sank a little in disappointment, but he knew he'd see her again. He had to. It was like love at first sight.

That thought made Helia stop in his tracks.

He got it.

He finally got it.

Grinning to himself, Helia instead went off to find his brother.

* * *

"It's just a little crush right now," Helia admitted to Alexandros, "but I think it could be something more if I play my cards right."

His older brother grinned broadly and slapped him on the shoulder. "See, man, I told you! I knew you'd find her soon."

They stood at the top of the arena, looking inside of it. Saladin had already revealed the new school, and the modern architecture left Helia inspired. With all the good feelings swirling inside of him, Helia felt light. He felt happy to be at Red Fountain. Proud to be a student who used to go there. But at the back of his mind, he knew no one would understand his pride. He was a dropout. Why would a dropout be proud to be back?

Alex seemed to be reading his mind.

"You can be happy that you attended Red Fountain," he said quietly, gazing into the arena. The wind up here was a little heavy, but Helia heard every word loud and clear. "A school like this, its' reputation and majesty, would make any student proud, whether they're graduates, current students, or even dropouts. An accident shouldn't hold you back, either. It was tragic, what happened to Eric, but I don't think he would want you to avoid a place the both of you loved anymore." He looked at his younger brother, smiling softly. "You don't have to re-enroll. But now, you see the memories that are good outweigh the bad, right?"

Helia nodded, averting his gaze. "Right. I'll visit Grandfather here more often."

"Flora, too?"

Helia ignored the teasing, but a shy smile crept onto his face as he thought about the girl he had met earlier. Before he could respond, however, something covered the sun, causing the two brothers to look up.

A loud, rumbling roar echoed through the arena, causing chaos and panic. A giant, winged beast hovered above, its jaws open wide as it roared again. It swiped its tail into a stadium seat exit, knocking over the structure.

"You evacuate with the others!" Alex called, running to the left. "I'm going to go find Mom!"

Helia nodded but stayed where he was. He slipped on his gloves, thankful that his gut had been right.

Just then, a flash of light caught his eye, and he saw the girls from earlier were transformed into their fairy forms. He watched as they surrounded it in the air, and Cordatorta had the Specialists evacuate the arena full of people. He knew he should probably leave the area soon, but he couldn't stop watching Flora. Her pink, flower-like fairy form suited her beautifully.

Before he knew it, Helia was entranced, watching her take control and tell the others a plan. But wait, why was she going behind it? And why was she doing that alone?

Helia tensed, anticipating something even worse. The monster turned and spat on her, its spit and gunk covering her eyes. She began trying to wipe it away, completely unaware of what was about to happen. Her friends shouted out to her, but, even from here, Helia heard her screaming about how she couldn't see.

Hurriedly, Helia threw out his hand, letting the laser strings fly outwards. They quickly wrapped around the monster's limbs, restraining it from causing any more harm to Flora.

The others were confused, trying to figure out what was going on, but Helia and Flora had locked eyes, ignoring everyone else.

"Up there!" she cried, pointing.

"How could a dropout pull a stunt like that?" Brandon asked, looking at Helia from where his dragon was keeping him aloft.

Sky reminded him, "He was Cordatorta's best student before he quit."

"Flora," Helia called, still not taking his eyes off her. "Are you alright?"

She blushed and put her hands on her cheeks, making Helia's heart race.

"She's fine, Helia," Sky called, grinning.

With that, Helia let the monster go, already knowing that the monster wasn't happy. Helia hurried away, ignoring Stella's scathing remarks. The monster was mad at its captor. That meant it would follow Helia and give the others more time to think.

And just like expected, right after Helia hopped down from the arena wall, the beast swung its fist downwards, cracking the stone where he had once been standing.

He left the area completely when he was sure the others could handle. More exhausted than he wanted to admit, Helia went to find his family.

* * *

That night, Helia paced in the training room, unable to sleep. His mind was a jumbled mess now, and he didn't know how to deal with it. Normally, he would draw or write to get his emotions out, but it wasn't working. The only thing he could draw was Flora. And while he found her a beautiful muse, he knew he couldn't just solve his problems by painting her.

So, after everything had calmed down, Helia re-enrolled in Red Fountain. Most of the professors readily accepted him, saying he could come in now instead of waiting for next year. A big problem, however, was that since Helia hadn't practiced at all in over two years, he was out of shape. Because of this, Helia could not be enrolled as a senior.

Instead, they suggested enrolling him as a junior and giving him private training classes to catch up on the material that he had missed. Technically he'd be skipping a year, but the professors thought that even with his lack of training, he'd still be too advanced for a sophomore.

To make matters worse, a squadron had to accept Helia formally into the group. Whenever a change was made to a squadron, the faculty let the students decide, with their approval, of course.

Helia was worried about that part. The only juniors he knew were Sky and his team, and he didn't want to interrupt what they had going. If they were the top squadron in their class, adding a new person would change their dynamic and most likely make them fall in ranking.

But at the same time, if he were to join a group he completely didn't know, then that would make matters even worse for them, and him too. He couldn't just bounce from group to group until he found one that stuck. It would be too confusing for the other juniors.

Helia stopped pacing when he heard the door slide open. As if they had been reading his mind, Sky, Brandon, Riven, and Timmy walked in.

They were still wearing uniforms, but they had obviously changed since the battle with the beast. They stood quietly for a moment, facing Helia before Riven began rifling through his duffel bag.

"We figured you'd still be here," Brandon said, setting his own bag down. "We usually spar around this time. Do you mind if we join you?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I guess not," Helia answered, confused. It was almost midnight. Don't these boys sleep?

"Are you wrapping up here?" Riven asked unexpectedly, dropping his bag to the floor.

Helia shrugged. "If you guys would rather train like you usually do, I can go."

Riven grinned slyly. "Nah, I want to try to beat those laser string gloves. No one at Red Fountain uses those."

"No one?" Helia echoed, cradling his wrist in his other hand. He glanced down at the gloves that matched the Red Fountain uniform.

The boys shook their heads. "As a matter of fact, you were the last person who stuck with them for longer than a few weeks," Timmy informed, getting out his own weapon.

"Yeah, everyone else just gives up after about a month of training with them," Sky said. "They're not a classic type of weapon. You must have some serious skill, based on what we saw today." He paused before turning around to lay his things next to the door. "It's a shame you're going back to art school. Red Fountain would benefit from having you."

Helia ignored the fact that Sky sounded like his grandfather.

"I'm actually not going back," he admitted, "or at least, I don't want to."

To Helia's surprise, none of them looked shocked in the slightest.

"We figured," Brandon said as Riven let out a "duh."

"How did you—" Helia cut himself off, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Where to start?" Sky hummed sarcastically, expanding his shield and sword.

"Well, let's see," Brandon continued, doing the same. "There's Flora, . . . and Flora, and, uh, what was that last thing?"

"You mean Flora?" the other three chorused, looking at Helia and smirking.

Helia's face was completely flushed red now, and he quickly looked away, trying to think of something to change the subject.

But he didn't have to. Sky spoke up, but he was still smirking.

"We know a squadron has to accept you so that you'll be fully enrolled again," he began, stepping forward so that he was in front of Helia. "And we spoke with Headmaster Saladin already. Welcome to our team."

Sky, Brandon, and Timmy were grinning expectantly, and Riven just looked bored.

Amazed, Helia asked, "Are you sure?"

"Just make sure you can keep up with us," Riven said, folding his arms across his chest and smirking. "And try not to ruin our reputation." He dropped his arms and picked up his weapon. "Now are you going to spar with your new team or not?"


End file.
